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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $994 in Roman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,472 in Roman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,950 in Roman.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 48% more expensive than in Roman, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Roman is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$12.34 RON 56.1

6.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$27.51 RON 125

94.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$7.96 RON 36.20

17.21%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$3.35 RON 15.24

10.45%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.14 RON 5.18

40.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$2.08 RON 9.45

-46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$3.20 RON 14.53

-1.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.32 RON 10.53

109.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.50 RON 6.81

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.89 RON 4.05

204.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.59 RON 7.22

20.13%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.97 RON 13.48

-12.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$8.90 RON 40.45

10.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$6.87 RON 31.24

22.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$11.32 RON 51.5

5.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$0.91 RON 4.12

224.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.54 RON 7.02

12.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.48 RON 6.72

37.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$2.23 RON 10.13

-7.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.80 RON 3.63

168.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.01 RON 4.60

123.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.94 RON 4.26

47.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.85 RON 3.86

31.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$5.79 RON 26.31

-27.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$6.54 RON 29.73

167.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.15 RON 5.22

48.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.71 RON 7.76

112.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.70 RON 3.20

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$19.96 RON 90.7

-3.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.67 RON 3.04

105.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.61 RON 2.75

-54.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$6.88 RON 31.28

-23.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.66 RON 7.53

-18.07%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$28.1K RON 127.9K

-32.11%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$27.4K RON 124.7K

-13.93%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$93.4 RON 425

-56.62%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$3.40 RON 15.46

705.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$5.60 RON 25.47

442.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$40.66 RON 185

28.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$19.35 RON 88.0

36.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$10.99 RON 49.94

-43.68%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$325 RON 1,477

30.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$6,589 RON 30.0K

62.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$67.6 RON 307

-13.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$17.61 RON 80.1

153.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$95.9 RON 436

7.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$33.92 RON 154

220.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$388 RON 1,765

161.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$290 RON 1,320

114.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$581 RON 2,643

264.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$444 RON 2,017

175.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,229 RON 10.1K

70.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,357 RON 6,168

55.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$859 RON 3,907

22.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

7.7

47.27%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Roman: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $388 in Roman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 22% 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 $28.00 in Roman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $209 per month, with Roman 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 Roman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Roman differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $994 including rent). Roman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $388 in Roman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Roman runs roughly 3% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $325 in Roman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $994 in Roman versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roman but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Roman 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 Roman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.