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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $806 in Assela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,237 in Assela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,669 in Assela.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 82% more expensive than Assela, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Assela is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.60 ETB 725

186.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$35.67 ETB 5,622

51.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.32 ETB 996

49.05%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.29 ETB 203

175.19%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.64 ETB 101

153.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.43 ETB 68.3

158.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$0.98 ETB 154

218.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.93 ETB 462

58.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.44 ETB 228

18.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.32 ETB 209

106.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.17 ETB 343

-11.98%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.46 ETB 388

3.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.00 ETB 1,104

43.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$13.87 ETB 2,185

-41.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$13.40 ETB 2,112

-13.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$6.84 ETB 1,078

-56.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.03 ETB 162

75.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.19 ETB 345

-8.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$0.97 ETB 153

109.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.63 ETB 99.6

236.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.88 ETB 296

20.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.70 ETB 110

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.69 ETB 108

63.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.03 ETB 636

5.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$5.70 ETB 899

172.98%

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

$1.84 ETB 290

95.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.45 ETB 228

-4.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.27 ETB 42.53

3.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$1.98 ETB 312

175.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.29 ETB 204

0.78%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$55.2K ETB 8.7M

-66.12%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$54.6K ETB 8.6M

-57.61%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$159 ETB 25.0K

-74.26%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$11.83 ETB 1,864

126.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$131 ETB 20.6K

-77.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.77 ETB 910

9.19%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$79.9 ETB 12.6K

446.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$41.0K ETB 6.5M

-74.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$46.94 ETB 7,398

20.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$75.1 ETB 11.8K

-40.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$94.1 ETB 14.8K

9.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$115 ETB 18.1K

-8.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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 Assela: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $36.00 in Assela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $268 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, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 82% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,208 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 $436 in Mexico City versus $79.9 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 $36.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $806 in Assela versus $1,467 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 82% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.