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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,483 in Asmara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,175 in Asmara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,866 in Asmara.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 1% less than in Asmara, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Asmara 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$12.52 ERN 188

5.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$30.40 ERN 457

77.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.14 ERN 92.3

53.42%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$0.74 ERN 11.10

379.73%

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

$1.62 MX$27.95

$1.88 ERN 28.26

-13.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$1.36 ERN 20.45

-18.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$1.02 ERN 15.32

205.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

$2.04 ERN 30.67

126.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$1.59 ERN 23.95

6.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$0.49 ERN 7.36

455.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$1.94 ERN 29.13

-1.55%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$4.44 ERN 66.8

-42.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$3.05 ERN 45.80

228.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$26.68 ERN 401

-69.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.09 ERN 152

15.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$12.27 ERN 184

-75.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$1.25 ERN 18.79

44.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$1.90 ERN 28.63

5.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$1.18 ERN 17.79

72.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$1.78 ERN 26.68

19.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$1.06 ERN 15.86

114.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$0.65 ERN 9.78

115.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$2.18 ERN 32.83

-48.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$1.97 ERN 29.55

116.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$11.95 ERN 180

30.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$1.01 ERN 15.19

74.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

$1.19 ERN 17.87

202.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.14 ERN 2.11

171.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

$8.04 ERN 121

138.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$0.68 ERN 10.23

102.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.61 ERN 9.23

-54.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$8.27 ERN 124

-34.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$2.18 ERN 32.83

-40.37%

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

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$65.8K ERN 988.7K

-71.59%

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

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$69.2K ERN 1.0M

-66.56%

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

$40.86 MX$706

$27.01 ERN 406

51.28%

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

$26.81 MX$463

$67.8 ERN 1,019

-60.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$201 ERN 3,018

-85.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$27.53 ERN 414

88.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$7.68 ERN 115

249.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$1.13 ERN 17.00

457.52%

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

$436 MX$7,536

$25.33 ERN 381

1621.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$1,678 ERN 25.2K

520.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$81.0 ERN 1,217

-30.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$74.2 ERN 1,115

-40.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$197 ERN 2,962

-47.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$94.8 ERN 1,425

11.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$467 ERN 7,017

118.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$405 ERN 6,083

55.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$737 ERN 11.1K

189.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$659 ERN 9,908

88.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$1,247 ERN 18.7K

213.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$2,483 ERN 37.3K

-16.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-5.50%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Asmara: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $467 in Asmara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $30.00 in Asmara. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $369, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 Asmara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Asmara differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,483 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $2,225 in Asmara 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $467 in Asmara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 139% less than in Asmara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $25.33 in Asmara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,483 in Asmara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Asmara. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Asmara 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Asmara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.