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 $1,447 per month in Mexico City vs $919 in Elbasan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,310 per month in Mexico City vs $1,443 in Elbasan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,174 per month in Mexico City vs $1,967 in Elbasan, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 57% more than Elbasan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 8% 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$223

$9.64 ALL 787

34.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$32.11 ALL 2,624

63.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$7.21 ALL 589

30.79%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$1.79 ALL 146

99.44%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.29 ALL 105

24.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.68 ALL 55.9

69.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.79 ALL 146

75.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.43 ALL 198

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.84 ALL 150

-7.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.93 ALL 76.3

183.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.56 ALL 128

21.79%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$3.04 ALL 249

-16.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$10.05 ALL 821

0.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$5.21 ALL 426

59.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$12.14 ALL 992

-4.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$0.85 ALL 69.5

256.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$2.48 ALL 202

-31.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.25 ALL 102

64.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$0.97 ALL 79.0

112.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$0.96 ALL 78.1

114.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.09 ALL 88.8

99.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.90 ALL 73.5

55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.57 ALL 46.46

96.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.96 ALL 323

8.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$7.70 ALL 629

100.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$0.90 ALL 73.6

85.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.50 ALL 123

146.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.48 ALL 39.39

-20.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$19.18 ALL 1,567

-0.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$3.46 ALL 283

-60.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$1.24 ALL 101

-77.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$13.90 ALL 1,136

-61.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$2.11 ALL 172

-39.34%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$21.0K ALL 1.7M

-9.76%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$27.2K ALL 2.2M

-13.61%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$68.5 ALL 5,596

-40.11%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$17.59 ALL 1,437

53.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$15.13 ALL 1,236

96.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$66.0 ALL 5,392

-20.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$16.22 ALL 1,325

61.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$5.74 ALL 469

7.67%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$142 ALL 11.6K

200.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$1,761 ALL 143.9K

507.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$46.55 ALL 3,804

22.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$34.60 ALL 2,827

29.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$93.6 ALL 7,650

11.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$177 ALL 14.5K

-40.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$284 ALL 23.2K

250.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$196 ALL 16.0K

216.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$423 ALL 34.5K

403.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$296 ALL 24.2K

323.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$1,350 ALL 110.3K

189.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$862 ALL 70.5K

143.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$536 ALL 43.8K

106.66%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Elbasan: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Mexico City versus $284 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 107% 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: $288 vs $206 – 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 57%, 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 $2,171 per month in Mexico City and $1,378 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 40% 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 $919, than in Mexico City at $1,447. 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.