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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $883 in Oskemen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,501 in Oskemen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,118 in Oskemen.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 86% more expensive than in Oskemen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Oskemen is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$13.12 ₸5,977

-7.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$26.18 ₸11.9K

99.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$3.96 ₸1,803

175.25%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$3.40 ₸1,547

19.12%

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

$1.72 MX$28.99

$1.01 ₸462

70.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.28

$0.53 ₸242

160.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$1.54 ₸703

125.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$1.65 ₸752

252.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.32

$1.41 ₸644

31.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$0.53 ₸242

507.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.24

$1.33 ₸607

57.14%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.16

$1.76 ₸800

65.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$9.71 ₸4,423

28.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$5.88 ₸2,679

71.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$7.92 ₸3,609

100.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$1.15 ₸524

187.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.94

$1.95 ₸890

9.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.02

$2.53 ₸1,151

-13.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.36

$2.42 ₸1,100

1.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.99

$0.86 ₸392

154.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.19

$0.48 ₸221

295.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.30

$0.34 ₸156

376.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.81

$1.07 ₸489

26.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$2.18 ₸995

149.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$4.75 ₸2,165

270.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.95

$1.43 ₸652

44.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$1.66 ₸756

186.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.74

$0.26 ₸119

30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.48

$1.09 ₸498

87.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$0.31 ₸142

87.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$2.42 ₸1,100

146.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.30

$0.63 ₸289

157.14%

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

$31.5K ₸14.4M

-27.65%

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

$26.7K MX$450.6K

$30.7K ₸14.0M

-13.24%

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

$65.2 MX$1,102

$44.52 ₸20.3K

46.54%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$11.31 ₸5,153

164.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$22.60 ₸10.3K

61.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$25.89 ₸11.8K

135.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$19.64 ₸8,949

35.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$4.90 ₸2,230

39.80%

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

$453 MX$7,662

$65.9 ₸30.0K

587.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$2,790 ₸1.3M

379.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$113 ₸51.5K

-33.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$934

$80.8 ₸36.8K

-31.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$97.4 ₸44.4K

16.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$121 ₸55.3K

1.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$336 ₸152.9K

237.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$222 ₸101.3K

220.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.4K

$641 ₸292.1K

300.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$572 ₸260.6K

129.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$1,109 ₸505.2K

260.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$805 ₸366.9K

160.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$784 ₸357.0K

33.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

19.5

-42.05%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Oskemen: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $336 in Oskemen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 34% 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 $26.00 in Oskemen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $192 per month, with Oskemen 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 Oskemen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Oskemen differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $883 including rent). Oskemen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $336 in Oskemen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $65.9 in Oskemen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Oskemen – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $883 in Oskemen versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Oskemen but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Oskemen 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.

Expats usually find Oskemen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.