Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Gostivar

For one person, living is cheaper in Gostivar: $837 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Gostivar
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Gostivar Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Gostivar

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Gostivar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Gostivar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $837 in Gostivar.

Mexico City $1,608
Gostivar $837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,265 in Gostivar.

Mexico City $2,549
Gostivar $1,265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,693 in Gostivar.

Mexico City $3,490
Gostivar $1,693

Living in Mexico City is roughly 92% more expensive than in Gostivar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Gostivar is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$6.56 MKD 361

61.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$27.78 MKD 1,528

74.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$5.85 MKD 322

76.92%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$1.38 MKD 76.0

167.39%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$1.32 MKD 72.7

26.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$1.06 MKD 58.6

19.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$1.31 MKD 72.3

143.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$1.85 MKD 102

187.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$1.24 MKD 68.1

38.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$0.71 MKD 38.81

328.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.43 MKD 78.4

35.66%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$2.37 MKD 130

21.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$6.29 MKD 346

74.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$5.55 MKD 305

66.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$14.30 MKD 786

5.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$1.41 MKD 77.5

116.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.41 MKD 77.4

37.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$1.32 MKD 72.8

53.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$1.86 MKD 102

24.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$0.83 MKD 45.51

145.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$0.75 MKD 41.35

140.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$0.63 MKD 34.49

134.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$0.54 MKD 29.49

135.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$2.79 MKD 154

89.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$4.44 MKD 244

262.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$0.94 MKD 51.7

110.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$1.44 MKD 79.0

195.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.71 MKD 39.02

-56.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$25.74 MKD 1,416

-23.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$0.75 MKD 41.47

145.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$0.31 MKD 17.00

70.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$7.77 MKD 427

-31.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$1.42 MKD 78.2

6.34%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$32.4K MKD 1.8M

-32.94%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$26.6K MKD 1.5M

-9.81%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$129 MKD 7,092

-51.16%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$10.81 MKD 595

153.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$18.72 MKD 1,029

90.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$21.69 MKD 1,193

171.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$16.18 MKD 890

46.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$7.09 MKD 390

-9.73%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$368 MKD 20.2K

17.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$5,800 MKD 319.0K

96.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$36.82 MKD 2,025

85.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$37.07 MKD 2,039

43.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$101 MKD 5,550

6.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$112 MKD 6,181

4.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$271 MKD 14.9K

311.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$193 MKD 10.6K

268.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$497 MKD 27.3K

420.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$296 MKD 16.3K

375.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$1,515 MKD 83.3K

139.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$1,165 MKD 64.1K

83.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$880 MKD 48.4K

7.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

4.23

168.32%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Gostivar: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Gostivar

$193 23% 72.9% $518

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Gostivar

$184 21.9% 42.6% $136

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Gostivar

$106 12.7% 46.4% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Gostivar

$129 15.4% 17.1% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Gostivar

$158 18.9% 25.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Gostivar

$36 4.3% 50% $36

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Gostivar

$31 3.7% 21.3% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $271 in Gostivar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 8% 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: $48 in Mexico City vs $28 in Gostivar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $184 per month, with Gostivar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇰 Gostivar

🕒 Local time

03:04 3:04 AM

10:04 10:04 AM

7 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

36,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.38 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Gostivar 10,840 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Gostivar

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 48% 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.

Average pay runs 8% 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $271 in Gostivar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $837 in Gostivar – Gostivar is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 23% less than in Gostivar. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Gostivar is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Gostivar wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.