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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,383 in Addis Ababa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,083 in Addis Ababa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,783 in Addis Ababa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 6% more expensive than Addis Ababa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Addis Ababa 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.55 ETB 718

189.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$35.04 ETB 5,522

53.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.41 ETB 1,010

46.96%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.24 ETB 196

186.29%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.69 ETB 109

134.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.43 ETB 67.7

158.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$0.99 ETB 156

215.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.97 ETB 468

55.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.44 ETB 228

18.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.33 ETB 210

104.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.17 ETB 343

-11.98%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.43 ETB 383

4.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.29 ETB 1,148

37.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$13.73 ETB 2,164

-41.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$13.09 ETB 2,063

-11.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$6.68 ETB 1,053

-55.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$0.98 ETB 154

84.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.19 ETB 345

-8.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$0.99 ETB 157

105.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.68 ETB 107

211.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.81 ETB 286

25.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.68 ETB 108

105.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.64 ETB 101

76.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.02 ETB 633

6.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$5.77 ETB 909

169.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$0.99 ETB 156

77.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.89 ETB 298

90.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.43 ETB 67.9

-11.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$12.21 ETB 1,925

57.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.48 ETB 234

-6.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.27 ETB 42.16

3.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.05 ETB 323

165.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.24 ETB 195

4.84%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$55.4K ETB 8.7M

-66.29%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$54.0K ETB 8.5M

-57.17%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$157 ETB 24.8K

-74.00%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$12.11 ETB 1,908

121.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$129 ETB 20.3K

-76.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$69.5 ETB 11.0K

-25.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$36.71 ETB 5,786

-26.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.86 ETB 923

7.51%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$81.1 ETB 12.8K

437.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$41.1K ETB 6.5M

-74.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$46.81 ETB 7,377

21.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$74.1 ETB 11.7K

-40.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$93.3 ETB 14.7K

10.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$115 ETB 18.2K

-8.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$758 ETB 119.5K

34.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$495 ETB 78.0K

27.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,819 ETB 286.7K

17.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$890 ETB 140.2K

39.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,981 ETB 312.2K

97.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,009 ETB 159.0K

104.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$206 ETB 32.5K

440.24%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $758 in Addis Ababa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 440% 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 $35.00 in Addis Ababa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 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 6% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,383 including rent). Addis Ababa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 440% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $758 in Addis Ababa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,467 per month in Mexico City versus $1,383 in Addis Ababa – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Addis Ababa runs roughly 57% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,383 in Addis Ababa versus $1,467 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 6% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.