Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Oslo

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $3,538 in Oslo, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
170

Cost of Living Index in Oslo
Learn more

Oslo Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Oslo

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $3,538 in Oslo.

Mexico City $1,608
Oslo $3,538

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $5,096 in Oslo.

Mexico City $2,549
Oslo $5,096

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $6,653 in Oslo.

Mexico City $3,490
Oslo $6,653

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 55% less than in Oslo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 18% above, Oslo 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$21.75 NOK 202

-51.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$130 NOK 1,206

-62.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$16.04 NOK 149

-35.47%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$5.84 NOK 54.3

-36.82%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$4.38 NOK 40.67

-61.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$3.35 NOK 31.10

-62.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$11.65 NOK 108

-72.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$12.81 NOK 119

-58.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$2.61 NOK 24.27

-34.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$4.38 NOK 40.73

-30.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$4.70 NOK 43.68

-58.72%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$6.25 NOK 58.1

-53.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$15.48 NOK 144

-29.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$15.84 NOK 147

-41.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$32.30 NOK 300

-53.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$3.36 NOK 31.17

-9.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$2.72 NOK 25.31

-28.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$3.65 NOK 33.92

-44.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$5.96 NOK 55.4

-61.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$2.69 NOK 25.03

-24.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$2.85 NOK 26.48

-36.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$3.26 NOK 30.30

-54.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$2.50 NOK 23.22

-49.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$19.21 NOK 178

-72.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$16.64 NOK 155

-3.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$3.60 NOK 33.45

-45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$4.23 NOK 39.25

0.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$5.02 NOK 46.65

-93.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$83.5 NOK 775

-76.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$12.39 NOK 115

-85.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$1.84 NOK 17.12

-71.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$70.8 NOK 658

-92.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$2.48 NOK 23.05

-39.11%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$49.9K NOK 463.6K

-56.40%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$44.7K NOK 415.1K

-46.32%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$433 NOK 4,027

-85.47%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$34.50 NOK 321

-20.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$55.7 NOK 517

-35.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$58.1 NOK 540

1.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$29.79 NOK 277

-20.64%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$20.78 NOK 193

-69.20%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$240 NOK 2,226

80.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$16.2K NOK 150.2K

-29.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$104 NOK 969

-34.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$61.8 NOK 574

-13.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$135 NOK 1,253

-20.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$160 NOK 1,487

-26.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$2,133 NOK 19.8K

-47.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$1,645 NOK 15.3K

-56.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$3,270 NOK 30.4K

-20.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$2,466 NOK 22.9K

-42.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$12.4K NOK 114.9K

-70.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$7,462 NOK 69.3K

-71.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$4,703 NOK 43.7K

-79.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

4.94

129.76%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Oslo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Oslo

$1.6K 46.5% 132% $934

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Oslo

$530 15% 66% $211

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Oslo

$407 11.5% 105% $208

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Oslo

$207 5.9% 33.1% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Oslo

$524 14.8% 316% $398

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Oslo

$100 2.8% 38.9% $28

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Oslo

$125 3.5% 392% $100

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $2,133 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays about 5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $130 in Oslo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $530 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇳🇴 Oslo

🕒 Local time

10:06 10:06 AM

17:06 5:06 PM

7 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,098,061 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 NOK = 10.76 USD

100 NOK = 9.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.29 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.34 NOK (100 NOK = 9.67 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Oslo 9,200 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Oslo

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 Oslo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Oslo differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($1,608 vs $3,538 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 80% lower in Mexico City. 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $2,133 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 76% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $240 in Oslo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,608 in Mexico City versus $3,538 in Oslo, a $3,000 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.