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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $1,686 in Roubaix.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $2,559 in Roubaix.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $3,432 in Roubaix.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 13% less than in Roubaix, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, Roubaix 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$17.91 €15.28

-25.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$69.0 €58.8

-22.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$13.79 €11.76

-31.69%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$3.80 €3.24

-5.53%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$3.31 €2.83

-51.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$2.09 €1.78

-46.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$8.31 €7.09

-60.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$5.75 €4.90

-19.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.18 €1.01

38.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$1.67 €1.42

58.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$3.08 €2.62

-36.36%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.14 €1.82

18.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$13.25 €11.30

-24.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$9.32 €7.95

-9.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$13.73 €11.71

-13.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$1.02 €0.87

180.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.18 €1.01

46.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$2.27 €1.94

-12.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$2.90 €2.47

-29.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$0.79 €0.67

160.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$0.90 €0.76

153.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.59 €1.35

-8.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.22 €0.19

395.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$12.03 €10.26

-64.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$8.85 €7.55

65.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$2.39 €2.04

-26.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$4.24 €3.62

-15.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$1.98 €1.69

-80.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

$48.34 €41.24

-61.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$2.40 €2.05

-42.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$1.82 €1.56

-83.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$40.82 €34.82

-86.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$2.00 €1.70

-33.00%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$28.8K €24.6K

-34.62%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$29.3K €25.0K

-20.81%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$180 €153

-77.57%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$22.88 €19.51

18.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$29.68 €25.31

-0.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$37.21 €31.74

41.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$18.31 €15.62

42.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$11.57 €9.87

-46.59%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$571 €487

-22.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$8,620 €7,353

24.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$89.2 €76.1

-35.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$36.43 €31.07

23.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$84.2 €71.8

22.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$105 €89.3

3.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$779 €665

28.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$626 €534

0.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$1,414 €1,206

51.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$1,077 €919

16.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$4,268 €3,641

-12.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$3,111 €2,653

-23.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

$1,879 €1,602

-42.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.69

207.32%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Last update for Roubaix: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $779 in Roubaix. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roubaix pays 74% 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 in Mexico City vs $69 in Roubaix. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $264, with Roubaix 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 Roubaix: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Roubaix differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $1,686 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Roubaix earns 74% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $779 in Roubaix. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 158% less than in Roubaix. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $441 in Mexico City versus $571 in Roubaix. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,466 in Mexico City versus $1,686 in Roubaix, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Roubaix. 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 Roubaix 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 15% less than in Roubaix. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.