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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,289 in Addis Ababa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,927 in Addis Ababa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,564 in Addis Ababa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 29% more expensive than in Addis Ababa, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Addis Ababa is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$4.02 ETB 646

196.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$43.13 ETB 6,928

19.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$6.64 ETB 1,067

71.84%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$0.95 ETB 153

320.00%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.59 ETB 94.5

181.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.64 ETB 103

107.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$0.81 ETB 130

328.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.29 ETB 368

157.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.09 ETB 175

72.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.21 ETB 194

168.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$2.20 ETB 354

-1.82%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.81 ETB 291

60.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$7.57 ETB 1,216

69.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$10.15 ETB 1,630

-0.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$9.29 ETB 1,493

70.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$5.48 ETB 881

-39.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$0.63 ETB 102

219.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$2.21 ETB 355

-0.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$0.69 ETB 111

242.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$0.50 ETB 80.2

310.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.06 ETB 170

79.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.64 ETB 103

151.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.61 ETB 98.3

129.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$8.18 ETB 1,314

-33.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$5.64 ETB 905

212.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$0.72 ETB 116

186.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$1.22 ETB 196

283.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.52 ETB 82.9

-34.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$20.71 ETB 3,326

0.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$1.30 ETB 209

61.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.27 ETB 43.30

107.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$1.95 ETB 314

197.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.90 ETB 145

78.89%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$54.1K ETB 8.7M

-57.75%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$55.2K ETB 8.9M

-51.50%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$202 ETB 32.5K

-67.80%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$7.10 ETB 1,140

323.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$208 ETB 33.4K

-82.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$44.76 ETB 7,191

33.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$36.56 ETB 5,874

-27.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$3.66 ETB 588

92.35%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$139 ETB 22.3K

234.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$30.6K ETB 4.9M

-56.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$32.99 ETB 5,300

130.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$69.9 ETB 11.2K

-19.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$78.6 ETB 12.6K

42.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$82.5 ETB 13.2K

46.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$694 ETB 111.5K

58.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$393 ETB 63.2K

83.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$2,237 ETB 359.4K

13.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$770 ETB 123.8K

67.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$1,990 ETB 319.7K

100.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,023 ETB 164.3K

104.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$206 ETB 33.1K

402.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

18.5

-38.92%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $694 in Addis Ababa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 403% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $43.00 in Addis Ababa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $215 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 29% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,289 including rent). Addis Ababa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 403% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $694 in Addis Ababa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,660 per month in Mexico City versus $1,289 in Addis Ababa – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Addis Ababa runs roughly 0% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,289 in Addis Ababa versus $1,660 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 29% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.