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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $996 in Roman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,472 in Roman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,949 in Roman.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 45% more expensive than Roman, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Roman is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$12.39 RON 56.1

4.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$28.00 RON 127

87.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$7.84 RON 35.48

20.28%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$3.36 RON 15.21

6.25%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.12 RON 5.07

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$2.09 RON 9.44

-44.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$3.15 RON 14.26

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.35 RON 10.63

106.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.48 RON 6.71

14.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.95 RON 4.29

177.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.64 RON 7.44

15.85%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$3.02 RON 13.68

-15.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$8.71 RON 39.42

15.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$6.82 RON 30.86

21.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$11.29 RON 51.1

2.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$0.95 RON 4.32

218.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.48 RON 6.69

15.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.48 RON 6.70

38.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$2.22 RON 10.06

-7.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$0.77 RON 3.49

167.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.03 RON 4.65

110.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.93 RON 4.21

50.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.85 RON 3.82

31.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$5.74 RON 25.95

-25.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$6.66 RON 30.12

131.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.14 RON 5.18

46.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.64 RON 7.43

125.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.72 RON 3.27

-47.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$19.68 RON 89.0

-3.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.72 RON 3.24

91.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.66 RON 2.97

-57.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$6.74 RON 30.48

-19.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.68 RON 7.58

-23.81%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$28.3K RON 128.1K

-33.00%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$28.0K RON 126.4K

-16.07%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$90.6 RON 410

-54.73%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$3.47 RON 15.70

675.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$5.69 RON 25.76

421.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$41.72 RON 189

25.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$18.99 RON 85.9

38.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$10.76 RON 48.66

-42.57%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$328 RON 1,482

30.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$6,627 RON 30.0K

61.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$67.3 RON 305

-15.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$17.09 RON 77.3

162.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$96.6 RON 437

8.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$34.85 RON 158

204.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$387 RON 1,749

157.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$286 RON 1,293

117.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$577 RON 2,608

268.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$441 RON 1,993

184.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$2,070 RON 9,365

88.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,266 RON 5,725

65.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$854 RON 3,863

29.67%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Roman: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $387 in Roman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 30% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $28.00 in Roman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $208 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 45% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $996 including rent). Roman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 30% more on average, 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $387 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 $427 in Mexico City versus $328 in Roman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $996 in Roman versus $1,447 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 45% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.