Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Jimma

For one person, living is cheaper in Jimma: $1,014 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Jimma, Ethiopia
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Jimma
🇪🇹 Ethiopia
$1,014
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Jimma actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $1,014 in Jimma, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Jimma $1,014

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $1,403 in Jimma, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Jimma $1,403

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $1,791 in Jimma, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Jimma $1,791

Mexico City costs about 59% more than Jimma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Jimma is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Jimma
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$198
$4.43 ETB 712
139.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$901
-
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$193
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$68.8
$1.10 ETB 176
235.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.07
$0.53 ETB 85.8
215.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.59
$0.47 ETB 75.9
170.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$59.5
$2.72 ETB 437
17.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$98.9
$1.44 ETB 232
268.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Jimma
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.15
$1.13 ETB 182
52.21%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$56.7
$0.36 ETB 57.6
744.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.19
$1.15 ETB 185
68.70%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$53.8
$3.96 ETB 638
-27.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$205
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$172
$11.29 ETB 1,815
-18.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$282
$11.22 ETB 1,804
34.85%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$56.8
$2.29 ETB 368
33.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.19
$1.09 ETB 175
77.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.75
$3.31 ETB 532
-38.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.15
$0.54 ETB 86.2
327.78%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$37.94
$0.55 ETB 88.0
270.91%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.55
$3.36 ETB 541
-46.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.58
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.63
$0.54 ETB 86.8
135.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$98.9
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$300
$6.84 ETB 1,099
135.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$36.97
$1.14 ETB 183
73.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.3
$1.43 ETB 229
197.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Jimma
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.69
$0.21 ETB 33.63
47.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$368
$13.46 ETB 2,164
46.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.25
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.94
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$98.7
$1.69 ETB 272
213.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.16
$1.72 ETB 277
-12.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$405.5K
$49.6K ETB 8.0M
-56.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$447.1K
$55.5K ETB 8.9M
-56.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Jimma
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,174
$60.2 ETB 9,687
4.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$511
$35.58 ETB 5,722
-23.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$665
$301 ETB 48.3K
-88.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Jimma
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,099
$33.07 ETB 5,318
78.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$441
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$119
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Jimma
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,045
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$212.9K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Jimma
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,272
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$990
$90.8 ETB 14.6K
-41.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,009
$133 ETB 21.5K
-19.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,186
$111 ETB 17.9K
5.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Jimma
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.8K
$203 ETB 32.6K
449.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.2K
$154 ETB 24.7K
362.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.2K
$407 ETB 65.5K
535.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.2K
$313 ETB 50.3K
349.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$67.7K
$2,192 ETB 352.4K
65.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$39.8K
$1,138 ETB 183.0K
87.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Jimma
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.6K
$223 ETB 35.9K
323.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
9
26.11%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Jimma: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Jimma
–
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Jimma
–
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Jimma
–
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Jimma
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Jimma
–
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Jimma
–
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Jimma
–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $203 in Jimma. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mexico City are about 4.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇪🇹 Jimma
🕒 Local time
17:47 5:47 PM
02:47 2:47 AM
9 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
207,573
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 179 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.59 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Jimma 14,330 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Jimma

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 Jimma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jimma cheaper than Mexico City?
Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $1,521 in Jimma. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Jimma, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $203 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.
How do food prices compare in Mexico City and in Jimma?
Groceries cost about 63% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 32% less in Jimma. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Mexico City or in Jimma?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jimma, where all-in costs run around $1,014, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Jimma it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Mexico City or in Jimma?
It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,014 in Jimma to $1,608 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Jimma. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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