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 $1,660 per month in Mexico City vs $909 in Elbasan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,565 per month in Mexico City vs $1,431 in Elbasan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,470 per month in Mexico City vs $1,953 in Elbasan, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 83% more than Elbasan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 21% above the global median, while Elbasan is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$9.89 ALL 784

20.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$38.18 ALL 3,026

35.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$6.97 ALL 553

63.70%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$1.74 ALL 138

129.31%

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

$1.66 MX$28.58

$1.42 ALL 112

16.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.85

$0.70 ALL 55.7

90.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$2.22 ALL 176

56.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.88 ALL 228

104.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.32

$1.98 ALL 157

-5.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$0.99 ALL 78.7

228.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.23

$1.62 ALL 128

33.33%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.89

$2.78 ALL 221

4.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$10.41 ALL 825

23.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$5.95 ALL 472

68.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$11.51 ALL 912

37.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$1.27 ALL 101

159.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.56

$2.26 ALL 179

-11.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.89

$1.42 ALL 112

54.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.58

$1.12 ALL 88.7

110.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.39

$1.05 ALL 83.4

95.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.76

$1.07 ALL 84.6

77.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.81 ALL 63.8

98.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.06

$0.67 ALL 53.1

108.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$4.53 ALL 359

20.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$8.20 ALL 650

115.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.40

$1.08 ALL 85.7

90.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$1.88 ALL 149

148.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$0.48 ALL 38.21

-29.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$20.37 ALL 1,614

2.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.12

$3.80 ALL 301

-44.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$1.54 ALL 122

-63.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$15.22 ALL 1,207

-61.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.66

$2.18 ALL 173

-26.15%

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

$22.8K MX$393.4K

$30.3K ALL 2.4M

-24.59%

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

$26.8K MX$460.8K

$30.5K ALL 2.4M

-12.39%

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

$65.2 MX$1,123

$61.7 ALL 4,890

5.64%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$15.59 ALL 1,236

93.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$12.04 ALL 954

208.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$59.9 ALL 4,746

-0.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$17.30 ALL 1,371

53.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$4.33 ALL 343

62.59%

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

$465 MX$8,003

$147 ALL 11.7K

215.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$1,867 ALL 148.0K

610.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$76.5 ALL 6,058

-0.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$964

$45.86 ALL 3,635

22.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,927

$97.8 ALL 7,749

14.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,076

$98.5 ALL 7,808

22.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$306 ALL 24.2K

260.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$206 ALL 16.3K

250.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$445 ALL 35.3K

468.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$324 ALL 25.7K

298.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$1,392 ALL 110.3K

186.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$895 ALL 70.9K

133.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$559 ALL 44.3K

85.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.1

85.25%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Elbasan: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,103 in Mexico City versus $306 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 86% 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 $52.0 in Mexico City versus $38.00 in Elbasan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $216 – 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 83%, 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 $2,489 per month in Mexico City and $1,364 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 60% 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 $52.0 in Mexico City and $38.00 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 $909, than in Mexico City at $1,660. 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.