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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $1,054 in Cricova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $1,880 in Cricova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $2,706 in Cricova.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 48% more expensive than in Cricova, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Cricova is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$201

$8.51 MDL 151

30.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$886

$28.14 MDL 500

74.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$203

$10.52 MDL 187

6.75%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$67.9

$1.04 MDL 18.48

261.54%

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

$1.65 MX$29.87

$1.09 MDL 19.34

51.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.12

$0.67 MDL 11.82

91.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$58.9

$2.03 MDL 36.14

60.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$102

$2.24 MDL 39.75

152.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$32.71

$2.34 MDL 41.59

-22.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$53.2

$0.50 MDL 8.84

488.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.04

$1.10 MDL 19.55

86.36%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$52.9

$1.25 MDL 22.27

134.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$216

$6.62 MDL 118

80.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$172

$4.66 MDL 82.7

104.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$268

$12.19 MDL 216

21.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$56.8

$1.08 MDL 19.26

190.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.42

$0.81 MDL 14.43

148.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$37.51

$1.05 MDL 18.59

98.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.09

$1.10 MDL 19.46

101.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.23

$0.73 MDL 12.93

182.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$33.93

$1.05 MDL 18.62

79.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$26.76

$1.05 MDL 18.61

40.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.31

$1.08 MDL 19.27

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$97.8

$3.40 MDL 60.4

59.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$305

$4.46 MDL 79.2

278.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$35.87

$2.55 MDL 45.26

-22.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$78.2

$4.30 MDL 76.5

0.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.23

$0.56 MDL 9.92

-39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$366

$22.18 MDL 394

-8.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$37.87

$1.10 MDL 19.49

90.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.59

$0.24 MDL 4.22

120.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$97.7

$6.94 MDL 123

-22.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.48

$1.37 MDL 24.41

10.95%

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

$21.7K MX$392.8K

$29.8K MDL 528.9K

-27.03%

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

$24.8K MX$448.5K

$24.0K MDL 426.5K

3.32%

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

$63.0 MX$1,138

$239 MDL 4,239

-73.62%

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

$28.88 MX$522

$7.95 MDL 141

263.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$613

$11.17 MDL 198

203.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,008

$56.7 MDL 1,007

-1.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$450

$11.26 MDL 200

121.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$122

$7.79 MDL 138

-13.09%

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

$428 MX$7,732

$112 MDL 1,997

280.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$214.6K

$5,258 MDL 93.4K

125.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,266

$56.6 MDL 1,006

23.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$971

$28.69 MDL 510

87.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,984

$83.2 MDL 1,477

31.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,083

$113 MDL 2,014

1.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.2K

$918 MDL 16.3K

15.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.1K

$223 MDL 3,957

200.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.0K

$1,407 MDL 25.0K

69.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$22.8K

$1,117 MDL 19.8K

12.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$67.2K

$2,798 MDL 49.7K

32.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$35.7K

$1,976 MDL 35.1K

-0.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.0K

$581 MDL 10.3K

71.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

61.43%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cricova: October 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Mexico City and $918 in Cricova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 72% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $28.00 in Cricova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $189 per month, with Cricova 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 Cricova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Cricova differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($1,561 vs $1,054 including rent). Cricova is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 72% 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: $1,062 in Mexico City versus $918 in Cricova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cricova runs roughly 10% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $112 in Cricova. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,054 in Cricova versus $1,561 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cricova but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cricova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Cricova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.