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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $822 in Gostivar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,201 in Gostivar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,580 in Gostivar.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 80% more expensive than Gostivar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Gostivar is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$226

$5.31 MKD 279

144.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$923

$23.13 MKD 1,215

129.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$169

$5.13 MKD 270

89.47%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$1.44 MKD 75.6

160.42%

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

$1.57 MX$27.30

$1.12 MKD 58.7

40.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.64

$1.16 MKD 60.8

-2.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.3

$1.39 MKD 72.9

128.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.1

$1.87 MKD 98.0

149.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.21

$1.33 MKD 70.1

21.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.09

$0.69 MKD 36.11

292.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.70

$1.47 MKD 77.3

27.89%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.65

$2.03 MKD 106

23.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$175

$6.76 MKD 355

49.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$5.73 MKD 301

44.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$208

$13.63 MKD 716

-12.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.77

$1.04 MKD 54.6

175.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.45

$1.39 MKD 72.9

25.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.27

$1.24 MKD 65.2

67.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.27

$1.59 MKD 83.5

23.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.58

$0.94 MKD 49.16

129.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.94

$0.73 MKD 38.45

198.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.20

$0.53 MKD 28.03

162.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.57

$0.57 MKD 29.72

96.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.1

$2.84 MKD 149

47.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$248

$4.81 MKD 253

196.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$0.97 MKD 50.8

81.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.1

$1.53 MKD 80.3

140.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

$0.68 MKD 35.76

-42.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$325

$20.01 MKD 1,051

-6.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.12

$0.95 MKD 49.93

46.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.29

$0.33 MKD 17.23

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.3

$6.61 MKD 347

-18.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.50

$1.50 MKD 78.7

-10.00%

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

$18.9K MX$328.6K

$31.9K MKD 1.7M

-40.87%

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

$23.2K MX$402.8K

$47.5K MKD 2.5M

-51.27%

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

$40.82 MX$710

$134 MKD 7,013

-69.43%

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

$27.50 MX$479

$11.12 MKD 584

147.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$529

$15.29 MKD 803

98.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$930

$26.10 MKD 1,371

104.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

$4.81 MKD 253

30.35%

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

$436 MX$7,588

$222 MKD 11.6K

96.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.1K

$1,184 MKD 62.2K

783.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$988

$37.77 MKD 1,984

50.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$779

$37.22 MKD 1,955

20.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,789

$76.2 MKD 4,004

34.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$113 MKD 5,925

-4.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.4K

$283 MKD 14.9K

252.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.8K

$197 MKD 10.4K

214.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.2K

$569 MKD 29.9K

275.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.5K

$312 MKD 16.4K

296.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.3K

$1,627 MKD 85.5K

137.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.6K

$1,207 MKD 63.4K

93.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.6K

$903 MKD 47.4K

18.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.5

74.46%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Gostivar: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $283 in Gostivar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 18% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $23.00 in Gostivar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $181 per month, with Gostivar 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 Gostivar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gostivar wins on cost – living expenses run 80% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gostivar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Mexico City pays 18% more on average, 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $283 in Gostivar. 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 $822 in Gostivar – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gostivar runs roughly 7% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $822 in Gostivar versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gostivar but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Gostivar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gostivar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $822 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gostivar hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Gostivar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.