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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,106 in Craiova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,643 in Craiova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,180 in Craiova.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 34% more expensive than 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

$12.98 MX$227

$9.06 RON 39.52

43.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$45.77 RON 200

15.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$8.27 RON 36.06

17.53%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.49 RON 10.84

50.60%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$2.19 RON 9.53

-28.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$1.96 RON 8.56

-42.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.37 RON 10.32

34.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.44 RON 14.98

35.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.57 RON 6.83

3.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.99 RON 4.31

173.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.69 RON 7.38

11.24%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$3.35 RON 14.60

-25.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$7.70 RON 33.59

30.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.71 RON 29.25

23.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$9.78 RON 42.65

22.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.27 RON 5.53

125.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.66 RON 7.25

5.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.57 RON 6.85

32.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.82 RON 7.94

8.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.03 RON 4.50

109.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.10 RON 4.78

98.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.85 RON 3.70

63.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.76 RON 3.31

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$5.95 RON 25.95

-29.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$6.35 RON 27.67

124.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.25 RON 5.47

40.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.19 RON 9.55

68.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.71 RON 3.09

-45.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$23.01 RON 100

-18.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.61 RON 2.65

127.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.81 RON 3.54

-62.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$6.87 RON 29.96

-21.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.57 RON 6.83

-14.01%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$27.9K RON 121.4K

-32.21%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$27.4K RON 119.4K

-15.44%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$207 RON 902

-80.27%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$7.90 RON 34.45

248.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$11.74 RON 51.2

158.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$36.46 RON 159

46.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$18.49 RON 80.6

42.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$6.75 RON 29.43

-7.11%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$445 RON 1,941

-2.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$8,844 RON 38.6K

18.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$78.9 RON 344

-28.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$37.74 RON 165

18.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$78.6 RON 343

30.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$85.5 RON 373

26.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$382 RON 1,668

161.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$315 RON 1,374

96.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$720 RON 3,141

196.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$444 RON 1,935

178.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$2,730 RON 11.9K

41.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$2,095 RON 9,133

11.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,077 RON 4,697

-0.93%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Craiova: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $382 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Craiova pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $46.00 in Craiova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $205 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 34% 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.

On paper, Craiova earns 1% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $382 in Craiova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,484 per month in Mexico City versus $1,106 in Craiova – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Craiova runs roughly 23% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,106 in Craiova versus $1,484 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 $1,106 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 34% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.