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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $947 in Roman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,553 in Roman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,158 in Roman.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 75% more expensive than in Roman, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Roman is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$12.12 RON 55.5

-1.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$35.46 RON 162

45.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$7.93 RON 36.30

43.88%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$2.85 RON 13.05

40.00%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$1.48 RON 6.78

12.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$1.13 RON 5.19

17.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$3.30 RON 15.10

5.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.38 RON 10.92

147.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.59 RON 7.26

18.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$0.92 RON 4.21

253.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.50 RON 6.87

44.00%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$2.93 RON 13.42

-1.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$9.26 RON 42.44

38.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.76 RON 30.97

48.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$9.76 RON 44.71

62.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$1.09 RON 5.00

201.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.59 RON 7.26

26.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.49 RON 6.83

47.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$2.26 RON 10.34

4.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$0.78 RON 3.56

162.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$0.86 RON 3.95

120.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$0.91 RON 4.17

76.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.84 RON 3.86

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$5.65 RON 25.90

-3.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$6.74 RON 30.90

161.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$1.19 RON 5.46

73.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$1.72 RON 7.90

172.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$0.80 RON 3.69

-57.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$23.11 RON 106

-9.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$0.63 RON 2.88

233.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$0.69 RON 3.17

-18.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$6.94 RON 31.79

-16.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.85 RON 8.45

-12.97%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$30.2K RON 138.2K

-24.31%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$27.5K RON 126.0K

-2.75%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$186 RON 851

-64.90%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$7.27 RON 33.30

313.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$8.83 RON 40.44

321.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$39.94 RON 183

49.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$21.48 RON 98.4

23.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$9.77 RON 44.77

-27.94%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$309 RON 1,416

50.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$7,275 RON 33.3K

82.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$55.5 RON 254

36.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$27.21 RON 125

105.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$79.4 RON 364

40.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$61.3 RON 281

96.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$225 RON 1,032

389.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$168 RON 772

327.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$642 RON 2,941

294.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$462 RON 2,116

180.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$1,940 RON 8,889

105.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,381 RON 6,327

51.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$866 RON 3,967

19.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

7.2

56.94%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Roman: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $225 in Roman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 20% 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 $35.00 in Roman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $207 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 75% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $947 including rent). Roman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $225 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 11% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $309 in Roman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $947 in Roman versus $1,660 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 75% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.