Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bologna and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $2,168 in Bologna, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bologna
🇮🇹 Italy
$2,168
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,567
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bologna and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bologna and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,168 per month in Bologna vs $1,567 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Bologna $2,168
  • Mexico City $1,567

A couple spends around $3,357 per month in Bologna vs $2,450 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Bologna $3,357
  • Mexico City $2,450

A family of three spends $4,546 per month in Bologna vs $3,333 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Bologna $4,546
  • Mexico City $3,333

Bologna costs about 38% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bologna and Mexico City sit above the global median – Bologna by 61%, Mexico City by 16%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bologna
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.66 €20.16
$10.75 MX$199
110.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$87.8 €78.1
$50.3 MX$929
74.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.46 €11.98
$11.10 MX$205
21.26%
Cappuccino
$2.24 €1.99
$3.68 MX$68.1
-39.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 €3.13
$1.65 MX$30.42
113.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81 €1.61
$1.30 MX$24.08
39.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.68 €5.94
$3.32 MX$61.3
101.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.63 €5.01
$5.54 MX$102
1.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bologna
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.40 €1.25
$1.77 MX$32.68
-20.90%
White Bread (500g)
$2.99 €2.66
$3.05 MX$56.4
-1.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.89 €2.57
$2.01 MX$37.20
43.78%
Eggs
$4.01 €3.57
$2.77 MX$51.1
44.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$20.41 €18.15
$11.91 MX$220
71.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.24 €10.88
$9.33 MX$172
31.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.03 €18.70
$15.02 MX$278
40.01%
Apples (1kg)
$2.48 €2.21
$3.08 MX$56.8
-19.48%
Banana (1kg)
$2.40 €2.13
$1.95 MX$35.97
23.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 €2.27
$2.03 MX$37.54
25.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.31 €2.95
$2.21 MX$40.92
49.77%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 €1.67
$2.02 MX$37.41
-6.93%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 €1.52
$1.82 MX$33.67
-6.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 €1.20
$1.52 MX$28.07
-11.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 €0.50
$1.28 MX$23.65
-56.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.88 €6.12
$5.27 MX$97.4
30.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.96 €7.08
$16.12 MX$298
-50.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.91 €1.70
$1.95 MX$36.05
-2.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 €2.52
$4.25 MX$78.6
-33.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Bologna
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.63 €2.34
$0.31 MX$5.82
748.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.76 €38.03
$19.85 MX$367
115.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.64 €4.13
$2.00 MX$36.93
132.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.65 €1.47
$0.53 MX$9.86
211.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.98 €28.45
$5.62 MX$104
469.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.14 €1.90
$1.52 MX$28.07
40.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.8K €32.8K
$21.0K MX$388.7K
75.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.4K €32.4K
$25.2K MX$465.3K
44.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bologna
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$249 €221
$62.5 MX$1,155
297.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.10 €9.88
$28.77 MX$532
-61.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.22 €27.77
$34.45 MX$637
-9.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bologna
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.1 €56.1
$57.1 MX$1,055
10.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.63 €23.69
$24.81 MX$458
7.34%
Cinema Ticket
$9.87 €8.78
$6.67 MX$123
47.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bologna
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$768 €683
$431 MX$7,964
78.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.7K
$11.7K MX$216.9K
40.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bologna
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.5 €83.1
$70.8 MX$1,308
32.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.18 €41.08
$51.8 MX$958
-10.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$122 €109
$109 MX$2,011
12.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$146 €129
$112 MX$2,076
29.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bologna
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,141 €1,015
$1,051 MX$19.4K
8.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$867 €771
$665 MX$12.3K
30.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,081 €1,851
$2,346 MX$43.3K
-11.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,574 €1,400
$1,227 MX$22.7K
28.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,130 €4,563
$3,554 MX$65.7K
44.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,737 €3,324
$1,977 MX$36.5K
89.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bologna
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,103 €1,870
$975 MX$18.0K
115.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
11.3
-71.77%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bologna: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bologna
$867
Mexico City
$665 23.3% $202
Groceries & Markets
Bologna
$363
Mexico City
$323 11.1% $40
Eating Out
Bologna
$314
Mexico City
$203 35.5% $112
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bologna
$291
Mexico City
$126 56.8% $165
Clothing & Footwear
Bologna
$183
Mexico City
$155 15.7% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Bologna
$83
Mexico City
$70 14.9% $12
Getting Around
Bologna
$66
Mexico City
$26 61.1% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,141 in Bologna versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 116% higher in Bologna, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Bologna versus $50.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $323 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Bologna
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
14:34 2:34 PM
06:34 6:34 AM
8 h behind Bologna
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
386,663
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bologna Mexico City 10,020 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bologna
  • Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Bologna vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bologna or Mexico City?
Bologna costs about 38% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Bologna and in Mexico City?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,251 per month in Bologna and $2,351 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Bologna or Mexico City?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How expensive is transport in Bologna compared to Mexico City?
Public transport costs about 115% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Bologna and in Mexico City?
Kindergarten costs $768 per month in Bologna and $431 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Bologna or in Mexico City?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,567, than in Bologna at $2,168. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bologna it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Bologna or Mexico City?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mexico City costs $1,567 versus $2,168 in Bologna. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Bologna compared to Mexico City?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Bologna or to Mexico City?
If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bologna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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