Cost of Living Comparison Between Medias and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Medias and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,114 in Medias versus $1,448 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,702 in Medias versus $2,354 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,291 in Medias versus $3,260 in Mexico City.

Living in Medias costs roughly 23% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medias is 16% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.09 RON 54.5

$12.96 MX$223

-6.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.92 RON 225

$52.3 MX$900

-4.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 RON 35.66

$9.69 MX$167

-18.27%

Cappuccino

$3.48 RON 15.67

$3.75 MX$64.6

-7.20%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 RON 8.66

$1.56 MX$26.91

23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 RON 9.43

$1.16 MX$19.93

80.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 RON 14.85

$3.24 MX$55.8

1.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 RON 15.86

$4.90 MX$84.3

-28.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 RON 6.06

$1.70 MX$29.29

-20.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 RON 5.99

$2.67 MX$45.90

-50.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 RON 8.22

$1.89 MX$32.49

-3.17%

Eggs

$3.26 RON 14.69

$2.52 MX$43.37

29.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 RON 39.64

$10.02 MX$172

-12.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.18 RON 32.32

$8.53 MX$147

-15.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.96 RON 53.9

$11.94 MX$205

0.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 RON 5.10

$2.97 MX$51.1

-61.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.07

$1.79 MX$30.88

-12.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 RON 7.27

$2.00 MX$34.40

-19.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.15

$1.96 MX$33.74

26.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.34

$2.16 MX$37.21

-55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 RON 4.86

$2.27 MX$39.04

-52.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 3.90

$1.40 MX$24.14

-37.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 RON 3.53

$1.11 MX$19.18

-29.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.91 RON 26.61

$4.20 MX$72.2

40.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.08 RON 40.91

$16.54 MX$285

-45.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 RON 4.90

$1.68 MX$28.94

-35.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 RON 7.67

$3.59 MX$61.8

-52.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 RON 2.97

$0.39 MX$6.65

69.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.70 RON 88.7

$19.19 MX$330

2.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 RON 3.49

$1.38 MX$23.77

-44.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 RON 3.62

$0.30 MX$5.19

166.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.08 RON 31.91

$5.39 MX$92.7

31.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 6.89

$1.29 MX$22.13

18.60%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.1K RON 126.7K

$18.9K MX$325.1K

48.86%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$28.1K RON 126.7K

$23.8K MX$409.5K

18.22%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$165 RON 743

$39.86 MX$686

313.80%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$7.92 RON 35.67

$27.83 MX$479

-71.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.23 RON 41.57

$29.77 MX$512

-69.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.78 RON 184

$52.0 MX$894

-21.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.21 RON 86.5

$26.22 MX$451

-26.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.00 RON 31.53

$6.27 MX$108

11.64%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$441 RON 1,984

$433 MX$7,443

1.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,446 RON 29.0K

$10.5K MX$181.3K

-38.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 RON 296

$57.0 MX$981

15.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.41 RON 191

$45.33 MX$780

-6.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 RON 438

$102 MX$1,753

-4.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 RON 450

$109 MX$1,867

-7.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 RON 1,728

$994 MX$17.1K

-61.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 RON 1,290

$617 MX$10.6K

-53.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$581 RON 2,615

$2,086 MX$35.9K

-72.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$434 RON 1,956

$1,256 MX$21.6K

-65.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,831 RON 8,244

$3,936 MX$67.7K

-53.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,364 RON 6,142

$2,089 MX$35.9K

-34.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

11.34

-32.10%

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

Last update for Medias: June 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $384 in Medias and $994 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Medias vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $224 vs $292 per month, with Medias cheaper across the board.

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

Medias vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medias is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,671 in Medias and $2,173 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $384 in Medias versus $994 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $441 in Medias versus $433 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,114 in Medias versus $1,448 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medias but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Medias the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medias is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medias and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medias gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.