Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Satu Mare

For one person, living is cheaper in Satu Mare: $930 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Satu Mare
Learn more

Satu Mare Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Satu Mare

🇷🇴 Romania

$930

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Satu Mare

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 Satu Mare actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $930 in Satu Mare.

Mexico City $1,548
Satu Mare $930

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,406 in Satu Mare.

Mexico City $2,436
Satu Mare $1,406

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $1,883 in Satu Mare.

Mexico City $3,323
Satu Mare $1,883

Living in Mexico City is roughly 67% more expensive than in Satu Mare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Satu Mare is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$8.20 RON 38.81

34.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$32.51 RON 154

49.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$6.48 RON 30.67

68.21%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$2.50 RON 11.81

47.20%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$1.49 RON 7.04

9.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$1.28 RON 6.07

-2.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$1.87 RON 8.87

73.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$2.44 RON 11.55

126.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.13 RON 5.33

50.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.06 RON 5.04

184.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$1.13 RON 5.36

69.91%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.69 RON 12.71

1.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$7.35 RON 34.79

60.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$7.53 RON 35.63

26.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$10.83 RON 51.2

33.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.10 RON 5.19

174.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.30 RON 6.15

45.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$1.28 RON 6.04

55.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$1.43 RON 6.75

53.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$1.19 RON 5.61

61.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$1.37 RON 6.48

36.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$0.88 RON 4.14

63.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.71 RON 3.34

78.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$5.57 RON 26.38

-6.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$6.19 RON 29.29

161.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.23 RON 5.80

54.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$1.70 RON 8.06

148.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.54 RON 2.56

-37.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$23.41 RON 111

-16.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$0.80 RON 3.79

150.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$0.85 RON 4.03

-38.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$8.10 RON 38.34

-34.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.58 RON 7.47

-3.80%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$22.8K RON 107.9K

-3.15%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$25.3K RON 119.5K

-2.97%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$126 RON 597

-51.58%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$7.14 RON 33.79

300.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$7.25 RON 34.30

375.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$41.55 RON 197

35.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$10.68 RON 50.5

132.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$6.19 RON 29.29

7.59%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$155 RON 733

175.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$3,829 RON 18.1K

203.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$59.6 RON 282

13.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$28.51 RON 135

82.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$85.6 RON 405

23.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$69.2 RON 328

62.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$322 RON 1,524

218.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$260 RON 1,229

151.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$647 RON 3,060

256.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$410 RON 1,938

203.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$1,007 RON 4,765

258.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$1,056 RON 4,995

83.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$650 RON 3,075

48.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

7.05

60.28%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Satu Mare: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Satu Mare

$260 27.9% 60.3% $395

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Satu Mare

$195 21% 38.7% $123

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Satu Mare

$140 15.1% 31.1% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Satu Mare

$109 11.8% 28.2% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Satu Mare

$141 15.1% 13.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Satu Mare

$54 5.8% 22.6% $16

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Satu Mare

$31 3.3% 19.5% $5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $322 in Satu Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 48% 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 $33.00 in Satu Mare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $195 per month, with Satu Mare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇷🇴 Satu Mare

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

02:28 2:28 AM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

102,411

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Satu Mare 10,580 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Satu Mare

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 Satu Mare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Satu Mare differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $930 including rent). Satu Mare is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 48% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $322 in Satu Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Satu Mare runs roughly 19% 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 $155 in Satu Mare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $930 in Satu Mare versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Satu Mare but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Satu Mare 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 Satu Mare 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 Satu Mare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.