Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Addis Ababa Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Addis Ababa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,429 in Addis Ababa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $2,079 in Addis Ababa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,730 in Addis Ababa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 2% more expensive than in Addis Ababa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, Addis Ababa 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$4.44 ETB 704

194.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$940

$35.55 ETB 5,634

51.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$6.67 ETB 1,058

45.13%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.4

$1.30 ETB 206

187.69%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$0.63 ETB 100

157.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.31

$0.43 ETB 68.4

169.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.4

$0.97 ETB 154

232.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.9

$2.93 ETB 465

61.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.80

$1.46 ETB 231

13.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.15

$1.33 ETB 211

106.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.77

$2.15 ETB 341

-13.02%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.72

$2.40 ETB 380

4.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$7.12 ETB 1,128

43.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$13.71 ETB 2,173

-39.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$13.07 ETB 2,071

-9.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.6

$6.66 ETB 1,055

-54.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.67

$1.04 ETB 165

74.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.96

$2.19 ETB 348

-8.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.89

$0.98 ETB 155

104.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.45

$0.63 ETB 99.9

230.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.72

$1.91 ETB 303

18.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.47

$0.66 ETB 105

121.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.82

$0.68 ETB 108

58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.0

$3.97 ETB 629

9.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$297

$5.68 ETB 901

199.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.31

$1.04 ETB 164

66.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.5

$1.83 ETB 290

95.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.77

$0.44 ETB 69.8

-11.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$327

$12.19 ETB 1,932

53.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.18

$1.43 ETB 226

-6.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.89

$0.29 ETB 46.37

-3.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.8

$2.04 ETB 323

157.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.37

$1.25 ETB 198

7.20%

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

$19.4K MX$339.4K

$55.6K ETB 8.8M

-65.09%

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

$23.8K MX$416.7K

$54.3K ETB 8.6M

-56.12%

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

$40.69 MX$712

$163 ETB 25.8K

-74.97%

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

$26.87 MX$470

$12.23 ETB 1,938

119.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$534

$129 ETB 20.5K

-76.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$923

$69.4 ETB 11.0K

-23.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$466

$36.29 ETB 5,752

-26.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$5.82 ETB 923

11.86%

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

$428 MX$7,485

$80.5 ETB 12.8K

431.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.6K

$40.0K ETB 6.3M

-73.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,001

$47.75 ETB 7,568

19.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$796

$74.4 ETB 11.8K

-38.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,819

$91.4 ETB 14.5K

13.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,885

$116 ETB 18.4K

-7.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$732 ETB 116.0K

37.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$511 ETB 81.1K

21.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.9K

$1,816 ETB 287.9K

16.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.3K

$885 ETB 140.3K

37.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.9K

$1,969 ETB 312.1K

97.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.5K

$992 ETB 157.2K

104.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$200 ETB 31.7K

418.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-33.29%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $732 in Addis Ababa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 418% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $36.00 in Addis Ababa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $265 per month, with Addis Ababa 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

Mexico City vs Addis Ababa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Addis Ababa differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,429 including rent). Addis Ababa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 418% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $732 in Addis Ababa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,456 per month in Mexico City versus $1,429 in Addis Ababa – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Addis Ababa runs roughly 53% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,429 in Addis Ababa versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Addis Ababa but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Addis Ababa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Addis Ababa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.