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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $959 in Onesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,448 in Onesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,936 in Onesti.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 53% more expensive than in Onesti, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Onesti is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$7.00 RON 31.81

87.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$37.57 RON 171

42.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$6.60 RON 30.02

41.36%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.87 RON 8.49

97.86%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$2.09 RON 9.49

-23.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$1.67 RON 7.58

-32.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.03 RON 9.22

54.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.94 RON 13.39

64.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.14 RON 5.16

44.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.19 RON 5.42

127.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.88 RON 8.53

1.60%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.92 RON 13.29

-11.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$8.09 RON 36.77

21.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$6.87 RON 31.22

22.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$11.41 RON 51.9

4.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$0.92 RON 4.19

220.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.52 RON 6.89

14.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.52 RON 6.91

34.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.88 RON 8.55

9.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.78 RON 3.57

175.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.05 RON 4.77

115.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.00 RON 4.56

39.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.59 RON 2.70

89.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$5.63 RON 25.57

-25.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$5.59 RON 25.41

213.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.02 RON 4.62

67.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.52 RON 6.90

138.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.67 RON 3.06

-47.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$20.13 RON 91.5

-4.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.18 RON 5.35

16.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.66 RON 2.99

-57.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$7.07 RON 32.14

-25.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.58 RON 7.17

-13.92%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$28.0K RON 127.2K

-31.73%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$25.6K RON 116.4K

-7.81%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$157 RON 715

-74.25%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$8.07 RON 36.70

239.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$9.47 RON 43.04

220.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$41.91 RON 191

24.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$18.97 RON 86.2

39.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.98 RON 31.71

-11.32%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$307 RON 1,398

38.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$10.0K RON 45.5K

7.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$36.90 RON 168

58.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$30.27 RON 138

47.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$74.7 RON 340

38.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$71.7 RON 326

51.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$389 RON 1,770

160.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$295 RON 1,343

110.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$577 RON 2,622

267.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$440 RON 2,001

177.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$1,994 RON 9,067

90.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,406 RON 6,393

50.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$662 RON 3,011

58.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

7.11

59.49%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Onesti: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $389 in Onesti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 59% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in Onesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $199 per month, with Onesti 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 Onesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Onesti differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $959 including rent). Onesti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 59% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $389 in Onesti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Onesti runs roughly 4% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $307 in Onesti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $959 in Onesti versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Onesti but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Onesti 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 Onesti 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 Onesti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.