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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $931 in Sabac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,397 in Sabac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,863 in Sabac.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 58% more expensive than Sabac, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Sabac is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.74 RSD 880

50.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$26.81 RSD 2,698

101.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$9.90 RSD 996

-4.85%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$1.46 RSD 147

143.15%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.81 RSD 182

-10.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$1.21 RSD 121

-8.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.30 RSD 232

35.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.01 RSD 202

130.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.37 RSD 138

24.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.64 RSD 64.8

325.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.97 RSD 198

-3.05%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.20 RSD 222

15.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.31 RSD 736

37.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.70 RSD 674

20.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.77 RSD 1,084

7.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.35 RSD 136

120.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.87 RSD 188

-3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.70 RSD 171

18.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$2.24 RSD 226

-9.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.12 RSD 113

89.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.20 RSD 120

89.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.05 RSD 105

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.45 RSD 45.10

151.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.98 RSD 401

7.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$6.27 RSD 631

148.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$0.70 RSD 70.8

151.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.10 RSD 211

71.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.98 RSD 98.3

-61.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.03 RSD 104

33.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.46 RSD 45.89

-39.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$5.00 RSD 503

9.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.82 RSD 183

-28.57%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$30.6K RSD 3.1M

-38.87%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$26.8K RSD 2.7M

-13.67%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$158 RSD 15.9K

-74.09%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$19.47 RSD 1,959

37.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$24.25 RSD 2,441

23.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$23.52 RSD 2,368

121.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$11.76 RSD 1,184

128.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.57 RSD 661

-4.11%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$184 RSD 18.5K

136.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$3,977 RSD 400.3K

161.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$62.5 RSD 6,292

-9.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$56.4 RSD 5,674

-21.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$120 RSD 12.1K

-14.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$122 RSD 12.3K

-13.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$232 RSD 23.4K

340.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$178 RSD 17.9K

254.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$355 RSD 35.7K

502.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$267 RSD 26.8K

366.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$1,917 RSD 193.0K

103.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,562 RSD 157.2K

32.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$997 RSD 100.3K

11.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

41.75%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sabac: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $232 in Sabac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 12% 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 $27.00 in Sabac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $196 per month, with Sabac 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 Sabac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sabac differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $931 including rent). Sabac is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 12% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $232 in Sabac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $184 in Sabac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sabac – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $931 in Sabac versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sabac but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sabac 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 Sabac 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 Sabac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.