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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $927 in Shkoder.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,350 in Shkoder.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,772 in Shkoder.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 57% more expensive than in Shkoder, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Shkoder is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$5.95 ALL 486

119.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$32.15 ALL 2,622

67.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.84 ALL 395

100.00%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.81 ALL 148

106.63%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.60 ALL 130

1.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.82 ALL 66.5

41.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.31 ALL 189

39.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.36 ALL 274

41.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$2.06 ALL 168

-19.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.87 ALL 71.2

216.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.95 ALL 159

-4.10%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.94 ALL 239

-14.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$6.87 ALL 560

48.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.99 ALL 407

65.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$10.33 ALL 842

14.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.52 ALL 124

98.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$2.37 ALL 193

-23.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.74 ALL 142

14.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.38 ALL 112

44.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.01 ALL 82.5

105.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.21 ALL 98.7

87.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.11 ALL 90.2

31.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.74 ALL 60.2

45.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.09 ALL 334

6.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$6.02 ALL 491

182.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.44 ALL 118

20.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.72 ALL 141

108.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.49 ALL 39.86

-20.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$11.40 ALL 930

63.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$3.46 ALL 282

-61.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$3.12 ALL 255

-91.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$17.64 ALL 1,439

-70.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$2.10 ALL 171

-36.19%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$35.2K ALL 2.9M

-44.79%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$25.0K ALL 2.0M

-4.53%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$66.9 ALL 5,455

-39.16%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$16.83 ALL 1,373

59.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$16.08 ALL 1,311

89.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$41.52 ALL 3,386

27.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$11.87 ALL 969

124.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$7.02 ALL 573

-7.26%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$87.5 ALL 7,138

389.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$1,756 ALL 143.2K

498.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$46.51 ALL 3,793

23.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$11.56 ALL 943

293.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$69.6 ALL 5,672

49.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$142 ALL 11.6K

-24.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$306 ALL 24.9K

228.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$298 ALL 24.3K

109.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$357 ALL 29.1K

490.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$339 ALL 27.6K

259.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,825 ALL 148.9K

112.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,223 ALL 99.7K

66.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$572 ALL 46.7K

81.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

126.80%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Shkoder: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $306 in Shkoder. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 81% 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 $32.00 in Shkoder for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $203 per month, with Shkoder 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 Shkoder: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Shkoder differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $927 including rent). Shkoder is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 81% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $306 in Shkoder. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shkoder runs roughly 64% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $87.5 in Shkoder. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $927 in Shkoder versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shkoder but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Shkoder 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.

Expats usually find Shkoder gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.