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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,631 in Rijeka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $2,514 in Rijeka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $3,397 in Rijeka.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 3% more expensive than in Rijeka, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 22% above, Rijeka 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$13.85 €11.93

-12.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$74.4 €64.1

-27.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$10.49 €9.04

5.72%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.37 €2.04

73.00%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$3.14 €2.70

-46.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$2.00 €1.72

-30.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$3.91 €3.37

-14.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$4.74 €4.09

24.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.25 €1.07

48.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.63 €1.40

94.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$3.45 €2.98

-40.00%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$3.81 €3.29

-23.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$16.53 €14.25

-23.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$10.72 €9.24

-5.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$14.56 €12.55

10.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$1.78 €1.53

90.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.80 €1.55

15.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.95 €1.68

8.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$2.76 €2.38

-12.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.37 €1.18

55.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.35 €1.17

48.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.38 €1.19

12.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$1.41 €1.22

-3.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$6.09 €5.25

-5.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$7.96 €6.86

122.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.66 €1.43

24.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.18 €1.88

111.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$2.34 €2.02

-84.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$55.6 €47.88

-61.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$5.90 €5.09

-65.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$1.52 €1.31

-61.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$29.18 €25.16

-79.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.98 €1.70

-21.72%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$26.9K €23.2K

-15.10%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$26.1K €22.5K

4.29%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$200 €172

-66.23%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$25.26 €21.77

21.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$41.65 €35.91

-10.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$55.1 €47.53

11.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$11.68 €10.07

132.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$7.15 €6.16

-0.56%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$568 €490

-19.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$13.1K €11.3K

4.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$104 €89.8

-28.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$43.77 €37.73

30.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$106 €91.0

9.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$114 €98.6

6.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$728 €628

57.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$548 €472

29.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$1,225 €1,056

110.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$902 €778

43.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$4,228 €3,644

-5.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$4,063 €3,502

-47.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$1,531 €1,320

-29.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.73

202.95%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Rijeka: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $728 in Rijeka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rijeka pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $74.0 in Rijeka. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $304, with Rijeka cheaper for home cooking.

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 Rijeka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Rijeka differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,631 including rent). Rijeka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Rijeka. 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $728 in Rijeka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rijeka runs roughly 162% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $568 in Rijeka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,631 in Rijeka versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rijeka but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Rijeka 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 Rijeka 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 Rijeka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.