Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sabac

For one person, living is cheaper in Sabac: $840 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,548
/mo nomad
Sabac
🇷🇸 Serbia
$840
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Sabac

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Sabac actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $840 in Sabac.

  • Mexico City $1,548
  • Sabac $840

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,276 in Sabac.

  • Mexico City $2,436
  • Sabac $1,276

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $1,712 in Sabac.

  • Mexico City $3,323
  • Sabac $1,712

Living in Mexico City is roughly 84% more expensive than in Sabac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Sabac is 38% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Sabac
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.02 MX$204
$8.23 RSD 858
33.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.68 MX$900
$27.55 RSD 2,872
76.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.90 MX$201
$6.71 RSD 700
62.44%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$1.87 RSD 195
96.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 MX$30.18
$1.87 RSD 195
-12.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 MX$23.07
$1.40 RSD 146
-10.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.25 MX$60.1
$2.63 RSD 274
23.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.53 MX$102
$2.63 RSD 274
110.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Sabac
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 MX$31.50
$1.31 RSD 136
29.77%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$0.62 RSD 65.0
387.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.53
$1.92 RSD 200
-
Eggs
$2.73 MX$50.5
$1.89 RSD 197
44.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.77 MX$218
$5.65 RSD 589
108.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 MX$176
$6.31 RSD 658
51.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.41 MX$266
$11.48 RSD 1,197
25.52%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$1.24 RSD 129
143.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.01
$1.80 RSD 188
5.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.70
$1.45 RSD 151
37.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.19 MX$40.38
$1.88 RSD 196
16.49%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.43
$0.70 RSD 72.6
174.29%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 MX$34.49
$0.35 RSD 36.08
434.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 MX$26.62
$1.00 RSD 105
44.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.39
$0.40 RSD 41.90
217.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.22 MX$96.4
$3.61 RSD 377
44.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.17 MX$299
$7.74 RSD 807
108.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 MX$35.03
$0.66 RSD 68.4
187.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.22 MX$78.0
$0.94 RSD 97.6
348.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Sabac
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 MX$6.30
$0.93 RSD 97.1
-63.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.65 MX$363
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.90
$1.39 RSD 145
43.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.52 MX$9.67
$0.95 RSD 98.9
-45.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.34 MX$98.7
$5.11 RSD 532
4.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.13
$1.76 RSD 183
-13.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K MX$408.0K
$30.3K RSD 3.2M
-27.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$452.9K
$24.4K RSD 2.5M
0.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Sabac
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.1 MX$1,129
$138 RSD 14.4K
-55.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.58 MX$528
$25.50 RSD 2,658
12.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.47 MX$637
$18.96 RSD 1,976
81.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Sabac
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,042
$29.17 RSD 3,041
93.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.88 MX$460
$11.44 RSD 1,192
117.48%
Cinema Ticket
$6.66 MX$123
$5.58 RSD 581
19.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Sabac
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$427 MX$7,891
$176 RSD 18.3K
142.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K MX$215.0K
$3,770 RSD 393.0K
208.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Sabac
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 MX$1,253
$59.8 RSD 6,238
13.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.0 MX$960
$64.5 RSD 6,721
-19.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 MX$1,959
$56.6 RSD 5,898
87.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 MX$2,080
$118 RSD 12.3K
-4.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Sabac
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,025 MX$18.9K
$234 RSD 24.4K
337.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$654 MX$12.1K
$151 RSD 15.7K
333.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,308 MX$42.7K
$345 RSD 35.9K
569.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,242 MX$22.9K
$250 RSD 26.1K
396.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,613 MX$66.8K
$1,884 RSD 196.4K
91.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,936 MX$35.8K
$1,514 RSD 157.8K
27.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Sabac
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$964 MX$17.8K
$962 RSD 100.3K
0.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
4.84
133.47%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Sabac: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$654
Sabac
$151 76.9% $503
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$318
Sabac
$182 42.8% $136
Eating Out
Mexico City
$204
Sabac
$140 31.4% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$152
Sabac
$135 11.6% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$124
Sabac
$182 46.9% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Sabac
$40 42.1% $29
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Sabac
$9.9 * 61.5% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $234 in Sabac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 0% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $28.00 in Sabac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $182 per month, with Sabac cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇷🇸 Sabac
🕒 Local time
08:24 8:24 AM
16:24 4:24 PM
8 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
51,163
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Sabac 10,570 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Sabac

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Mexico City and in Sabac?
Mexico City and Sabac differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $840 including rent). Sabac is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Mexico City or Sabac?
Average pay runs 0% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Mexico City and in Sabac?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $234 in Sabac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Mexico City and Sabac?
Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $176 in Sabac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Sabac – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $840 in Sabac versus $1,548 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.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Sabac?
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.
Is Mexico City or Sabac safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Mexico City or Sabac?
Expats usually find Sabac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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