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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,484 per month in Mexico City vs $916 in Elbasan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,381 per month in Mexico City vs $1,471 in Elbasan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,278 per month in Mexico City vs $2,026 in Elbasan, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 62% more than Elbasan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 11% above the global median, while Elbasan is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$9.24 ALL 754

40.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$31.89 ALL 2,604

66.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$7.18 ALL 586

35.38%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.80 ALL 147

108.33%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.27 ALL 103

23.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.68 ALL 55.4

66.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.74 ALL 142

82.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.37 ALL 194

96.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.84 ALL 150

-11.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.92 ALL 74.9

194.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.56 ALL 128

20.51%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.91 ALL 238

-13.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$9.77 ALL 798

3.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.34 ALL 436

55.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$12.41 ALL 1,013

-3.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$0.91 ALL 74.5

214.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$2.37 ALL 193

-26.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.26 ALL 103

65.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$0.89 ALL 73.1

121.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.92 ALL 75.3

134.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.09 ALL 88.8

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.98 ALL 80.3

41.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.60 ALL 49.04

86.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$3.99 ALL 326

5.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$8.24 ALL 672

72.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$0.92 ALL 75.4

91.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.46 ALL 119

152.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.45 ALL 36.64

-13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$18.66 ALL 1,523

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$3.60 ALL 294

-61.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.29 ALL 105

-76.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$14.36 ALL 1,173

-62.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$2.11 ALL 172

-36.02%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$21.0K ALL 1.7M

-10.21%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$27.5K ALL 2.2M

-15.84%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$67.2 ALL 5,487

-39.26%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$17.26 ALL 1,409

59.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$15.29 ALL 1,248

98.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$65.6 ALL 5,359

-18.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$16.37 ALL 1,336

60.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$5.43 ALL 443

15.47%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$139 ALL 11.4K

213.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$1,789 ALL 146.1K

484.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$104 ALL 8,511

-45.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$34.21 ALL 2,793

30.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$93.8 ALL 7,660

9.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$180 ALL 14.7K

-40.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$289 ALL 23.6K

245.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$198 ALL 16.2K

212.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$421 ALL 34.4K

407.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$300 ALL 24.5K

311.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,362 ALL 111.2K

183.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$847 ALL 69.1K

175.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$550 ALL 44.9K

93.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.1

85.90%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Elbasan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,000 in Mexico City versus $289 in Elbasan. 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 94% 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 $53.0 in Mexico City versus $32.00 in Elbasan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $207 – making Elbasan 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 Elbasan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 62%, 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 $2,225 per month in Mexico City and $1,374 in Elbasan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 38% 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 $53.0 in Mexico City and $32.00 in Elbasan. 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 Elbasan, where all-in costs run around $916, than in Mexico City at $1,484. In Elbasan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Elbasan – 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 Elbasan. 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.