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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,467 per month in Mexico City vs $1,231 in Chisinau, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,371 per month in Mexico City vs $1,813 in Chisinau, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,274 per month in Mexico City vs $2,394 in Chisinau, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 19% more than Chisinau, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 10% above the global median, while Chisinau is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.53 MDL 147

54.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$37.11 MDL 637

45.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.53 MDL 129

25.10%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$1.87 MDL 32.20

89.84%

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

$1.62 MX$27.95

$0.99 MDL 17.02

63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$0.70 MDL 12.00

58.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$1.74 MDL 29.87

79.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

$2.29 MDL 39.39

102.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$1.29 MDL 22.15

31.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$0.52 MDL 8.97

423.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$1.46 MDL 25.01

30.82%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$2.62 MDL 44.96

-3.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$10.22 MDL 176

-1.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.35 MDL 91.9

51.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.69 MDL 149

33.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$0.84 MDL 14.39

253.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$1.82 MDL 31.27

-0.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$1.78 MDL 30.51

12.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$2.17 MDL 37.25

-6.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$0.81 MDL 13.92

161.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$0.54 MDL 9.31

320.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$1.30 MDL 22.38

7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$0.90 MDL 15.47

25.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$3.28 MDL 56.4

30.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$4.73 MDL 81.3

228.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$1.21 MDL 20.82

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

$1.91 MDL 32.81

88.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.33 MDL 5.75

15.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

$13.47 MDL 231

42.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$2.07 MDL 35.59

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.25 MDL 4.29

12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$5.33 MDL 91.7

2.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$1.44 MDL 24.75

-9.72%

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

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$32.7K MDL 561.6K

-42.83%

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

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$31.5K MDL 540.4K

-26.47%

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

$40.86 MX$706

$174 MDL 2,989

-76.52%

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

$26.81 MX$463

$7.38 MDL 127

263.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$10.98 MDL 189

172.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$43.14 MDL 741

20.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$22.18 MDL 381

21.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.63 MDL 131

-17.43%

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

$436 MX$7,536

$388 MDL 6,659

12.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$7,708 MDL 132.4K

35.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$65.4 MDL 1,123

-13.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$54.3 MDL 933

-18.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$111 MDL 1,910

-7.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$120 MDL 2,070

-12.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$668 MDL 11.5K

52.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$468 MDL 8,044

34.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,243 MDL 21.4K

71.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$798 MDL 13.7K

55.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$2,649 MDL 45.5K

47.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,901 MDL 32.7K

8.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$864 MDL 14.8K

29.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.24

22.73%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,022 in Mexico City versus $668 in Chisinau. 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 29% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City versus $37.00 in Chisinau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $190 – making Chisinau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Chisinau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 19%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,201 per month in Mexico City and $1,846 in Chisinau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chisinau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City and $37.00 in Chisinau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chisinau, where all-in costs run around $1,231, than in Mexico City at $1,467. In Chisinau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chisinau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Chisinau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.