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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,645 in Makarska.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $2,536 in Makarska.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $3,427 in Makarska.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 1% more expensive than in Makarska, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 21% above, Makarska 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$17.82 €15.51

-33.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$79.5 €69.1

-35.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$8.15 €7.09

40.00%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$3.45 €3.00

15.65%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$4.19 €3.65

-60.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$3.09 €2.69

-56.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$5.81 €5.05

-40.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$4.59 €4.00

28.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.16 €1.01

62.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$1.77 €1.54

83.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$3.26 €2.83

-33.74%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$4.99 €4.34

-41.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$15.95 €13.88

-19.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$10.18 €8.86

-1.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$12.38 €10.77

28.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$1.96 €1.70

67.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.56 €1.36

28.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.17 €1.89

1.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$2.75 €2.39

-14.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$2.35 €2.05

-12.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$2.13 €1.86

-10.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$1.58 €1.37

1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$1.70 €1.48

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$5.69 €4.95

-4.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$7.85 €6.83

124.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$1.46 €1.27

41.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$1.52 €1.33

207.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$1.66 €1.45

-79.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$43.07 €37.48

-51.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$3.82 €3.32

-45.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$1.32 €1.15

-57.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$19.02 €16.55

-69.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.68 €1.46

-4.17%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$27.0K €23.5K

-15.44%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$26.1K €22.7K

2.44%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$185 €161

-64.69%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$28.09 €24.45

7.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$44.40 €38.64

-16.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$49.78 €43.33

20.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$17.04 €14.83

55.81%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$9.18 €7.99

-23.31%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$432 €376

7.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$7,074 €6,156

87.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$92.6 €80.6

-18.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$46.85 €40.78

19.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$108 €93.7

3.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$81.1 €70.6

48.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$692 €602

59.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$543 €472

32.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$1,235 €1,075

104.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$852 €741

51.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$4,535 €3,947

-11.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$3,298 €2,870

-36.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.72

203.76%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Makarska: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $692 in Makarska. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $79.0 in Makarska. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $304, with Makarska cheaper for home cooking.

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 Makarska: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makarska is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $2,468 in Makarska to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $692 in Makarska. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $432 in Makarska. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,645 in Makarska versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Makarska but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Makarska the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Makarska is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Makarska are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Makarska gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.