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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $836 in Assela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,195 in Assela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $1,554 in Assela.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 97% more expensive than in Assela, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Assela is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$3.94 ETB 632

207.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$43.27 ETB 6,949

20.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$6.66 ETB 1,070

63.66%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$0.95 ETB 152

326.32%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$0.60 ETB 95.9

186.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$0.63 ETB 102

119.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$0.77 ETB 123

350.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$2.28 ETB 366

154.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$1.07 ETB 172

72.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$1.20 ETB 193

168.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$2.11 ETB 338

-0.95%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$1.72 ETB 277

69.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$7.27 ETB 1,167

71.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$10.10 ETB 1,621

0.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$9.16 ETB 1,471

73.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$5.27 ETB 846

-37.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$0.63 ETB 101

238.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$2.20 ETB 353

-0.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$0.67 ETB 107

265.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$0.50 ETB 79.9

338.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$1.06 ETB 170

79.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$0.66 ETB 106

145.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$0.57 ETB 91.4

136.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$7.92 ETB 1,273

-31.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$5.48 ETB 881

220.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$0.66 ETB 105

213.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$1.23 ETB 198

286.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$1.31 ETB 210

55.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$0.27 ETB 43.34

114.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$1.99 ETB 319

200.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$0.97 ETB 156

67.01%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$54.3K ETB 8.7M

-57.98%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$54.9K ETB 8.8M

-51.45%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$208 ETB 33.4K

-68.60%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$7.28 ETB 1,170

310.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$210 ETB 33.8K

-82.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$3.86 ETB 620

77.46%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$137 ETB 22.0K

230.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$29.7K ETB 4.8M

-54.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$33.35 ETB 5,356

124.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$70.0 ETB 11.2K

-21.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$79.5 ETB 12.8K

42.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$83.1 ETB 13.3K

47.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Assela: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $43.00 in Assela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $210 per month, with Assela 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 Assela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Assela is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,469 in Mexico City and $1,254 in Assela 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.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $137 in Assela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Assela – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $836 in Assela versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Assela but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Assela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Assela 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, Mexico City and Assela 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 Assela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.