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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,027 in Rome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $3,143 in Rome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $4,260 in Rome.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 28% less than in Rome, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Rome 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$17.23 €14.84

-23.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$73.9 €63.6

-27.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$11.74 €10.11

-19.76%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$1.83 €1.58

93.99%

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

$1.62 MX$27.95

$2.51 €2.16

-35.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$1.27 €1.09

-12.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$5.86 €5.05

-46.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

$5.23 €4.50

-11.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$1.69 €1.46

0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$2.14 €1.84

27.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$2.95 €2.54

-35.25%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$4.51 €3.88

-43.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$17.42 €15.00

-42.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$12.00 €10.33

-32.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$20.19 €17.38

-42.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.45 €2.11

21.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$2.23 €1.92

-18.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$1.95 €1.68

3.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$2.58 €2.22

-21.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$1.77 €1.53

19.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$1.86 €1.60

22.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$1.26 €1.09

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$0.55 €0.48

105.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$7.13 €6.14

-40.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$4.63 €3.99

236.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$1.95 €1.68

-9.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

$2.73 €2.35

31.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.79 €1.54

-78.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

$41.00 €35.30

-53.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$5.13 €4.41

-73.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.60 €1.38

-82.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$35.08 €30.20

-84.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$1.95 €1.68

-33.33%

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

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$29.3K €25.2K

-36.26%

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

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$30.2K €26.0K

-23.34%

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

$40.86 MX$706

$219 €189

-81.38%

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

$26.81 MX$463

$11.01 €9.47

143.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$31.31 €26.95

-4.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$64.1 €55.2

-18.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$23.81 €20.49

12.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$11.73 €10.10

-46.29%

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

$436 MX$7,536

$528 €455

-17.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$10.4K €8,974

-0.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$73.3 €63.1

-22.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$34.57 €29.76

28.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$87.0 €74.9

18.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$119 €102

-11.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$1,325 €1,140

-22.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$885 €762

-28.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$2,661 €2,291

-19.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$1,636 €1,408

-24.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$8,730 €7,516

-55.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$3,452 €2,972

-40.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$2,058 €1,772

-45.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.95

187.09%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Rome: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $1,325 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 85% 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 $74.0 in Rome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $333 per month, with Mexico City 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 Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Rome differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $2,027 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rome earns 85% less. 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $1,325 in Rome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 114% less than in Rome. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $528 in Rome. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,027 in Rome, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Rome. 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Rome 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.