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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $3,141 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $4,597 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $6,053 in Oslo.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 53% less than in Oslo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Oslo 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$25.53 NOK 238

-48.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$123 NOK 1,144

-56.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$15.15 NOK 141

-37.82%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$4.86 NOK 45.41

-26.95%

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

$1.62 MX$27.95

$4.08 NOK 38.14

-60.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$3.19 NOK 29.79

-65.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$12.02 NOK 112

-74.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

$11.22 NOK 105

-58.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$2.39 NOK 22.35

-28.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$4.09 NOK 38.17

-33.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$3.66 NOK 34.19

-47.81%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$5.03 NOK 47.00

-49.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$13.46 NOK 126

-25.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$16.04 NOK 150

-49.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$30.76 NOK 287

-62.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.49 NOK 32.63

-14.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$2.63 NOK 24.53

-31.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$3.35 NOK 31.32

-40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$5.16 NOK 48.20

-60.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$2.43 NOK 22.69

-12.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$2.71 NOK 25.33

-16.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$2.85 NOK 26.61

-50.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$2.34 NOK 21.84

-51.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$17.19 NOK 160

-75.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$18.93 NOK 177

-17.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$3.35 NOK 31.28

-47.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

$4.38 NOK 40.87

-17.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$4.31 NOK 40.20

-91.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

$77.9 NOK 727

-75.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$10.04 NOK 93.8

-86.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.38 NOK 12.93

-79.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$42.24 NOK 394

-87.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$2.18 NOK 20.34

-40.37%

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

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$36.5K NOK 340.5K

-48.76%

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

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$42.7K NOK 398.5K

-45.81%

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

$40.86 MX$706

$304 NOK 2,834

-86.54%

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

$26.81 MX$463

$31.63 NOK 295

-15.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$57.0 NOK 532

-47.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$57.8 NOK 539

-9.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$28.64 NOK 267

-6.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$18.01 NOK 168

-65.02%

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

$436 MX$7,536

$274 NOK 2,556

59.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$14.5K NOK 135.8K

-28.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$106 NOK 987

-46.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$65.4 NOK 611

-32.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$124 NOK 1,158

-17.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$168 NOK 1,572

-37.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$1,671 NOK 15.6K

-38.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$1,446 NOK 13.5K

-56.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$2,749 NOK 25.7K

-22.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$2,165 NOK 20.2K

-42.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$12.0K NOK 112.2K

-67.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$7,295 NOK 68.1K

-71.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$4,411 NOK 41.2K

-74.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.08

123.23%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Oslo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $1,671 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 296% 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 $122 in Oslo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $500 per month, with Mexico City 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 Oslo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Oslo differ by about 114% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $3,141 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Oslo earns 296% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $1,671 in Oslo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 306% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $274 in Oslo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $3,141 in Oslo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Oslo. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Oslo 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 114% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.