Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Olten

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $3,049 in Olten, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,548
/mo nomad
Olten
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,049
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $3,049 in Olten.

  • Mexico City $1,548
  • Olten $3,049

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $4,812 in Olten.

  • Mexico City $2,436
  • Olten $4,812

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $6,576 in Olten.

  • Mexico City $3,323
  • Olten $6,576

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 49% less than in Olten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 14% above, Olten 125% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Olten
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.02 MX$204
$33.18 CHF 27.33
-66.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.68 MX$900
$122 CHF 100
-60.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.90 MX$201
$17.69 CHF 14.57
-38.38%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$6.29 CHF 5.18
-41.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 MX$30.18
$5.51 CHF 4.54
-70.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 MX$23.07
$5.21 CHF 4.29
-76.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.25 MX$60.1
$9.22 CHF 7.59
-64.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.53 MX$102
$7.52 CHF 6.19
-26.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Olten
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 MX$31.50
$2.11 CHF 1.73
-19.43%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$3.87 CHF 3.19
-21.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.53
$3.81 CHF 3.14
-49.61%
Eggs
$2.73 MX$50.5
$8.37 CHF 6.90
-67.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.77 MX$218
$26.10 CHF 21.50
-54.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 MX$176
$26.77 CHF 22.05
-64.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.41 MX$266
$46.34 CHF 38.16
-68.90%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$4.02 CHF 3.31
-24.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.01
$2.69 CHF 2.22
-29.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.70
$2.97 CHF 2.45
-33.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.19 MX$40.38
$4.69 CHF 3.86
-53.30%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.43
$2.49 CHF 2.05
-22.89%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 MX$34.49
$2.14 CHF 1.76
-12.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 MX$26.62
$2.55 CHF 2.10
-43.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.39
$1.29 CHF 1.06
-1.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.22 MX$96.4
$10.85 CHF 8.93
-51.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.17 MX$299
$14.12 CHF 11.63
14.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 MX$35.03
$2.79 CHF 2.30
-31.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.22 MX$78.0
$3.25 CHF 2.68
29.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Olten
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 MX$6.30
$5.30 CHF 4.37
-93.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.65 MX$363
$107 CHF 88.3
-81.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.90
$8.39 CHF 6.91
-76.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.52 MX$9.67
$4.53 CHF 3.73
-88.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.34 MX$98.7
$90.2 CHF 74.3
-94.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.13
$2.16 CHF 1.78
-29.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K MX$408.0K
$39.5K CHF 32.6K
-44.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$452.9K
$39.3K CHF 32.4K
-37.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Olten
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.1 MX$1,129
$275 CHF 227
-77.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.58 MX$528
$32.97 CHF 27.15
-13.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.47 MX$637
$47.51 CHF 39.13
-27.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Olten
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,042
$80.2 CHF 66.1
-29.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.88 MX$460
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.66 MX$123
$21.01 CHF 17.30
-68.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Olten
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$427 MX$7,891
$3,608 CHF 2,971
-88.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K MX$215.0K
$41.7K CHF 34.3K
-72.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Olten
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 MX$1,253
$143 CHF 118
-52.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.0 MX$960
$59.3 CHF 48.81
-12.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 MX$1,959
$167 CHF 137
-36.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 MX$2,080
$210 CHF 173
-46.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Olten
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,025 MX$18.9K
$1,210 CHF 997
-15.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$654 MX$12.1K
$1,035 CHF 852
-36.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,308 MX$42.7K
$1,968 CHF 1,621
17.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,242 MX$22.9K
$1,948 CHF 1,605
-36.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,613 MX$66.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,936 MX$35.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Olten
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$964 MX$17.8K
$5,837 CHF 4,808
-83.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
2.07
445.89%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Olten: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$654
Olten
$1K 58.2% $381
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$318
Olten
$617 94.1% $299
Eating Out
Mexico City
$204
Olten
$498 144% $294
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$152
Olten
$261 71.2% $108
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$124
Olten
$356 187% $232
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Olten
$122 75.4% $53
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Olten
$160 522% $134

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $1,210 in Olten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Olten pays 505% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $122 in Olten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $617 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇨🇭 Olten
🕒 Local time
14:30 2:30 PM
22:30 10:30 PM
8 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
17,280
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Olten 9,640 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Olten

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 Olten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Mexico City and in Olten?
Mexico City and Olten differ by about 97% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $3,049 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 505% lower in Olten. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Mexico City and in Olten?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $1,210 in Olten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Mexico City and in Olten?
A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 446% less than in Olten. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Mexico City and Olten?
Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $3,608 in Olten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $3,049 in Olten, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Olten. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Olten?
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.
Is Mexico City or Olten safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Mexico City and Olten are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Mexico City or Olten?
Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Olten. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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