Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Calarasi, Romania

For one person, living is cheaper in Calarasi: $884 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Calarasi, Romania
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Calarasi
🇷🇴 Romania
$884
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Calarasi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Calarasi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $884 in Calarasi, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Calarasi $884

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $1,366 in Calarasi, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Calarasi $1,366

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $1,848 in Calarasi, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Calarasi $1,848

Mexico City costs about 82% more than Calarasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Calarasi is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Calarasi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$201
$8.87 RON 42.28
19.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$914
$33.46 RON 160
44.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$196
$7.54 RON 35.95
37.27%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$69.7
$2.08 RON 9.90
77.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.49
$1.83 RON 8.74
-8.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.91
$1.72 RON 8.18
-26.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$60.3
$1.53 RON 7.30
108.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$100
$1.44 RON 6.89
268.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Calarasi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.59
$1.45 RON 6.90
18.62%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$57.4
$0.92 RON 4.39
230.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.68
$1.49 RON 7.09
30.20%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$54.6
$2.71 RON 12.92
6.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$207
$7.58 RON 36.16
44.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$175
$4.30 RON 20.51
115.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$286
$8.38 RON 39.96
80.55%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$57.6
$1.09 RON 5.18
179.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.68
$1.38 RON 6.60
40.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.26
$1.23 RON 5.89
65.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.73
$1.45 RON 6.91
59.31%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$38.45
$0.44 RON 2.08
363.64%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$34.01
$0.62 RON 2.96
190.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.95
$0.44 RON 2.09
236.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.95
$0.81 RON 3.86
56.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$100
$6.19 RON 29.51
-14.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$304
$4.23 RON 20.19
280.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$37.47
$0.98 RON 4.67
102.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$80.3
$1.38 RON 6.57
207.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Calarasi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.76
$0.41 RON 1.93
-24.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$373
$12.30 RON 58.6
60.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.72
$0.60 RON 2.88
206.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$10.08
$0.61 RON 2.89
-13.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$100
$6.34 RON 30.21
-16.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.54
$1.62 RON 7.74
-6.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$411.0K
$28.3K RON 135.2K
-23.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$453.2K
$25.1K RON 119.7K
-4.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Calarasi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,190
$163 RON 778
-61.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$518
$6.16 RON 29.36
344.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$674
$6.51 RON 31.06
447.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Calarasi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,114
$47.78 RON 228
23.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$447
$51.6 RON 246
-54.22%
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$121
$8.22 RON 39.18
-22.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Calarasi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,154
$375 RON 1,787
15.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$215.8K
$5,713 RON 27.2K
99.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Calarasi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,289
$73.5 RON 350
-7.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$1,004
$20.65 RON 98.5
157.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,036
$89.8 RON 428
20.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,216
$95.9 RON 457
22.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Calarasi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$21.0K
$313 RON 1,494
255.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.4K
$191 RON 912
271.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.9K
$413 RON 1,968
526.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.6K
$327 RON 1,559
330.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$68.6K
$1,190 RON 5,673
205.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$40.3K
$965 RON 4,602
121.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Calarasi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.9K
$728 RON 3,473
29.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
7.85
44.59%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Calarasi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Calarasi
$191 73.1% $519
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Calarasi
$166 48.1% $154
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Calarasi
$143 27.9% $55
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Calarasi
$126 19.2% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Calarasi
$176 39.4% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Calarasi
$64 10.5% $7.5
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Calarasi
$18 31% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $313 in Calarasi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 30% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $33 in Calarasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $166 – making Calarasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇷🇴 Calarasi
🕒 Local time
13:59 1:59 PM
21:59 9:59 PM
8 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
65,181
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 18.89 MXN (100 MXN = 5.29 USD). 1 EUR = 21.16 MXN (100 MXN = 4.73 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Calarasi 11,100 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Calarasi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Calarasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mexico City and in Calarasi compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City, $884 in Calarasi – Calarasi comes out roughly 45% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Mexico City compared to Calarasi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $1,326 in Calarasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Mexico City and Calarasi?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Calarasi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $313 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Mexico City and Calarasi?
Kindergarten costs $432 per month in Mexico City and $375 in Calarasi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 93% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Calarasi, where all-in costs run around $884, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Calarasi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Mexico City or Calarasi?
Families tend to lean toward Calarasi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Mexico City and Calarasi?
If budget matters most, go with Calarasi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Mexico City vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?