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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $813 in Gostivar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,191 in Gostivar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,570 in Gostivar.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 81% more expensive than in 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

$13.14 MX$227

$5.19 MKD 277

153.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$23.38 MKD 1,250

128.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$5.03 MKD 269

85.49%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.44 MKD 76.7

156.94%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.15 MKD 61.5

39.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$1.16 MKD 61.7

-3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.35 MKD 72.1

132.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$1.84 MKD 98.4

163.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.41 MKD 75.2

17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.67 MKD 35.64

304.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.54 MKD 82.3

24.03%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.09 MKD 112

23.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$6.66 MKD 356

47.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$5.79 MKD 310

45.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$13.47 MKD 720

-11.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.08 MKD 57.6

173.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.42 MKD 76.1

22.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.26 MKD 67.2

61.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.63 MKD 87.3

26.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.98 MKD 52.4

119.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.78 MKD 41.92

189.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.54 MKD 28.80

157.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.56 MKD 29.94

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$2.78 MKD 148

51.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$4.71 MKD 252

271.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$0.90 MKD 48.36

90.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.54 MKD 82.2

135.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.63 MKD 33.61

-44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$20.00 MKD 1,069

-3.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.93 MKD 49.59

48.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.35 MKD 18.79

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$6.60 MKD 353

-20.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.44 MKD 77.2

-5.56%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$31.9K MKD 1.7M

-40.12%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$46.2K MKD 2.5M

-48.85%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$132 MKD 7,079

-69.40%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$11.05 MKD 590

147.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$15.45 MKD 826

96.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$26.09 MKD 1,394

100.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$4.67 MKD 250

32.55%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$218 MKD 11.7K

94.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$1,197 MKD 64.0K

796.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$37.51 MKD 2,004

55.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$38.26 MKD 2,045

16.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$74.2 MKD 3,964

39.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$114 MKD 6,093

-4.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$280 MKD 15.0K

261.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$193 MKD 10.3K

222.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$569 MKD 30.4K

272.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$315 MKD 16.8K

288.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$1,584 MKD 84.6K

139.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,238 MKD 66.1K

70.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$887 MKD 47.4K

18.60%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Gostivar: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $280 in Gostivar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 19% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $23.00 in Gostivar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $182 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 81% 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 19% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $280 in Gostivar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,472 per month in Mexico City versus $813 in Gostivar – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gostivar runs roughly 4% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $813 in Gostivar versus $1,472 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 $813 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 81% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.