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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,109 in Craiova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,650 in Craiova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,191 in Craiova.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 33% more expensive than in Craiova, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Craiova is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$9.38 RON 42.65

40.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$45.95 RON 209

16.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$7.96 RON 36.18

17.21%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.49 RON 11.31

48.59%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$2.10 RON 9.54

-23.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$1.92 RON 8.75

-41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.25 RON 10.21

39.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$3.35 RON 15.23

44.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.56 RON 7.09

5.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.00 RON 4.54

171.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.71 RON 7.77

11.70%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$3.23 RON 14.66

-19.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$7.72 RON 35.11

27.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$6.48 RON 29.47

30.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$9.81 RON 44.59

21.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.23 RON 5.61

139.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.70 RON 7.73

2.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.60 RON 7.27

27.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.84 RON 8.36

11.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.07 RON 4.88

100.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.14 RON 5.17

98.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.80 RON 3.64

73.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.80 RON 3.65

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$5.88 RON 26.74

-28.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$6.34 RON 28.81

176.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.30 RON 5.91

31.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.25 RON 10.24

61.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.72 RON 3.28

-51.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$23.02 RON 105

-16.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.56 RON 2.54

146.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.89 RON 4.04

-68.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$6.75 RON 30.69

-21.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.60 RON 7.29

-15.00%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$27.5K RON 124.9K

-30.47%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$27.6K RON 125.6K

-14.52%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$212 RON 964

-80.89%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$8.08 RON 36.73

238.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$11.58 RON 52.6

162.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$37.03 RON 168

41.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$18.97 RON 86.2

39.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.54 RON 29.76

-5.35%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$434 RON 1,971

-1.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$8,856 RON 40.3K

21.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$78.5 RON 357

-25.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$37.91 RON 172

17.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$77.6 RON 353

33.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$86.8 RON 394

25.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$386 RON 1,756

162.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$317 RON 1,439

96.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$706 RON 3,209

200.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$436 RON 1,980

180.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,735 RON 12.4K

38.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,998 RON 9,082

5.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$945 RON 4,297

11.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.28

80.57%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Craiova: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $386 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 11% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $46.00 in Craiova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $204 per month, with Craiova 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 Craiova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Craiova wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Craiova the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $386 in Craiova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,472 per month in Mexico City versus $1,109 in Craiova – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Craiova runs roughly 19% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,109 in Craiova versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Craiova but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Craiova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Craiova delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,109 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Craiova hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Craiova 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 Craiova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.