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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,682 in Mexico City versus $1,031 in Nis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,599 in Mexico City versus $1,534 in Nis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,516 in Mexico City versus $2,037 in Nis.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 63% more expensive than in Nis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 23% above, Nis is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 MX$200

$7.70 RSD 772

53.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$884

$33.87 RSD 3,395

53.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 MX$184

$10.62 RSD 1,064

2.35%

Cappuccino

$4.03 MX$68.2

$2.09 RSD 210

92.82%

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

$1.71 MX$28.99

$2.34 RSD 235

-26.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.70

$1.71 RSD 171

-21.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$3.64 RSD 365

-6.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 MX$97.3

$4.40 RSD 441

30.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$31.99

$1.17 RSD 118

61.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.71 RSD 71.1

346.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.74

$1.77 RSD 178

15.82%

Eggs

$3.01 MX$51.1

$2.38 RSD 239

26.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 MX$214

$7.88 RSD 790

60.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 MX$169

$6.17 RSD 618

61.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 MX$271

$10.75 RSD 1,078

48.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 MX$55.6

$1.06 RSD 106

209.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.87

$1.72 RSD 172

19.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.36

$1.49 RSD 150

40.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 MX$42.44

$2.13 RSD 214

17.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.76

$0.81 RSD 80.7

153.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.70

$0.76 RSD 75.8

146.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$26.66

$0.65 RSD 65.3

141.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.64

$0.62 RSD 62.0

124.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 MX$91.2

$4.43 RSD 444

21.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 MX$304

$5.79 RSD 581

210.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$34.31

$0.71 RSD 71.3

184.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 MX$80.7

$1.28 RSD 128

271.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MX$6.13

$0.40 RSD 40.26

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.80 MX$353

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$34.92

$1.86 RSD 186

10.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.55

$0.61 RSD 61.4

-8.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 MX$98.6

$8.48 RSD 850

-31.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.05

$1.82 RSD 183

-15.38%

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

$22.5K MX$380.6K

$31.1K RSD 3.1M

-27.80%

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

$26.5K MX$448.7K

$25.1K RSD 2.5M

5.52%

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

$66.0 MX$1,118

$160 RSD 16.0K

-58.77%

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

$30.98 MX$525

$20.28 RSD 2,032

52.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.20 MX$613

$23.61 RSD 2,366

53.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 MX$975

$30.87 RSD 3,094

86.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.75 MX$453

$16.27 RSD 1,631

64.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.13 MX$121

$5.02 RSD 503

42.03%

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

$457 MX$7,738

$251 RSD 25.2K

81.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MX$224.5K

$5,091 RSD 510.2K

160.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 MX$1,285

$90.0 RSD 9,020

-15.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 MX$917

$39.12 RSD 3,921

38.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MX$1,974

$102 RSD 10.2K

14.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,063

$112 RSD 11.3K

8.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 MX$19.4K

$394 RSD 39.5K

191.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 MX$12.3K

$284 RSD 28.5K

155.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 MX$42.4K

$616 RSD 61.8K

306.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 MX$22.6K

$417 RSD 41.8K

218.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,895 MX$66.0K

$2,570 RSD 257.5K

51.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 MX$36.4K

$1,910 RSD 191.4K

12.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$889 RSD 89.1K

20.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

4.94

129.76%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Last update for Nis: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,147 in Mexico City and $394 in Nis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 20% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Nis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $186 per month, with Nis 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 Nis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Nis differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,682 vs $1,031 including rent). Nis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $1,147 in Mexico City versus $394 in Nis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $457 in Mexico City versus $251 in Nis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nis – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,031 in Nis versus $1,682 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nis but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Nis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Nis 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 Nis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.