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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $983 in Onesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,459 in Onesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,935 in Onesti.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 51% more expensive than Onesti, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Onesti is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$7.09 RON 30.89

83.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$36.66 RON 160

44.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$6.50 RON 28.34

49.54%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.92 RON 8.39

95.31%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.99 RON 8.69

-21.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$1.60 RON 6.97

-29.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.11 RON 9.21

50.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.01 RON 13.14

54.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.13 RON 4.91

43.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.18 RON 5.15

129.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.99 RON 8.67

-5.53%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.92 RON 12.72

-14.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$7.87 RON 34.31

28.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.82 RON 29.75

21.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$11.16 RON 48.65

6.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$0.97 RON 4.23

194.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.57 RON 6.82

11.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.44 RON 6.28

44.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.87 RON 8.17

5.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.84 RON 3.65

157.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.06 RON 4.63

105.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.05 RON 4.57

32.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.65 RON 2.82

72.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$5.69 RON 24.82

-26.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$5.78 RON 25.19

146.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$0.95 RON 4.14

85.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.47 RON 6.40

150.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.70 RON 3.07

-44.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$19.91 RON 86.8

-6.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.17 RON 5.10

18.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.60 RON 2.61

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$6.77 RON 29.52

-19.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.62 RON 7.04

-16.67%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$28.4K RON 123.7K

-33.45%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$25.4K RON 110.6K

-8.70%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$161 RON 703

-74.69%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$8.00 RON 34.90

243.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$9.65 RON 42.07

214.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$41.75 RON 182

27.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$19.21 RON 83.7

36.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$6.78 RON 29.55

-7.52%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$305 RON 1,332

42.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$9,768 RON 42.6K

7.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$37.53 RON 164

51.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$30.43 RON 133

47.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$72.9 RON 318

40.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$74.1 RON 323

45.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$387 RON 1,688

158.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$292 RON 1,273

112.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$597 RON 2,602

258.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$431 RON 1,879

186.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,781 RON 7,764

117.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,374 RON 5,989

69.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$687 RON 2,993

55.46%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Onesti: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $387 in Onesti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 55% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $37.00 in Onesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 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 51% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $983 including rent). Onesti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 55% more on average, 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $387 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 7% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $305 in Onesti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $983 in Onesti versus $1,484 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 51% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.