Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Messina

For one person, living is cheaper in Messina: $1,359 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Messina
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Messina Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Messina

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,359

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,567 per month in Mexico City vs $1,359 in Messina, rent included.

Mexico City $1,567
Messina $1,359

A couple spends around $2,450 per month in Mexico City vs $2,355 in Messina, rent included.

Mexico City $2,450
Messina $2,355

A family of three spends $3,333 per month in Mexico City vs $3,350 in Messina, rent included.

Mexico City $3,333
Messina $3,350

Mexico City costs about 15% more than Messina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mexico City and Messina sit above the global median – Mexico City by 16%, Messina by 1%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$199

$14.98 €13.33

-28.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$929

$66.3 €59.0

-24.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

$12.43 €11.05

-10.70%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$1.99 €1.77

84.92%

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

$1.65 MX$30.42

$2.37 €2.11

-30.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$24.08

$1.20 €1.07

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$4.56 €4.06

-27.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$3.34 €2.97

65.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$1.26 €1.12

40.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$1.76 €1.56

73.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.20

$2.84 €2.53

-29.23%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.1

$2.98 €2.65

-7.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$220

$14.27 €12.69

-16.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$10.64 €9.47

-12.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$278

$17.16 €15.26

-12.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.8

$2.92 €2.59

5.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.97

$1.63 €1.45

19.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.54

$1.13 €1.01

79.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$3.45 €3.07

-35.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.41

$0.64 €0.57

215.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.67

$1.51 €1.34

20.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$1.41 €1.25

7.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

$0.42 €0.38

204.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

$6.73 €5.99

-21.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

$5.55 €4.94

190.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

$1.67 €1.48

16.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

$2.30 €2.05

84.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.82

$1.71 €1.52

-81.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

$42.41 €37.72

-53.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$5.43 €4.83

-63.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

$1.10 €0.98

-51.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

$37.71 €33.54

-85.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$2.00 €1.78

-24.00%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

$34.8K €31.0K

-39.58%

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

$31.4K €27.9K

-19.78%

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

$62.5 MX$1,155

$171 €152

-63.45%

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

$28.77 MX$532

$10.20 €9.08

182.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$637

$26.12 €23.23

31.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,055

$46.80 €41.63

22.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

$16.62 €14.78

49.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$8.70 €7.74

-23.33%

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

$431 MX$7,964

$338 €301

27.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

$5,643 €5,020

108.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,308

$71.5 €63.6

-1.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$958

$30.47 €27.10

70.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,011

$86.9 €77.3

25.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,076

$127 €113

-11.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$524 €466

100.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.3K

$374 €333

77.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.3K

$1,202 €1,069

95.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.7K

$1,088 €968

12.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

$2,033 €1,808

74.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

$1,611 €1,433

22.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

$1,640 €1,459

-40.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.39

233.33%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Messina: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

Messina

$374 27.5% 43.7% $291

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

Messina

$287 21.1% 11.1% $36

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

Messina

$225 16.5% 10.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

Messina

$142 10.5% 8.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Messina

$207 15.3% 64.9% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Messina

$64 4.7% 8.9% $6.2

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

Messina

$60 4.4% 133% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,051 in Mexico City versus $524 in Messina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 68% higher in Messina, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Mexico City versus $66.0 in Messina. Groceries tell a different story – $323 in Mexico City vs $287 in Messina – so Messina wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇹 Messina

🕒 Local time

01:59 1:59 AM

09:59 9:59 AM

8 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

217,734

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Messina 10,670 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Messina

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 Messina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 15% more than Messina, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,351 per month in Mexico City and $2,039 in Messina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Messina, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $431 per month in Mexico City and $338 in Messina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Messina, where all-in costs run around $1,359, than in Mexico City at $1,567. In Messina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Messina costs $1,359 versus $1,567 in Mexico City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Messina. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.