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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $922 in Shkoder.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,353 in Shkoder.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,784 in Shkoder.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 59% more expensive than Shkoder, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.04 ALL 496

118.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$32.04 ALL 2,627

68.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.61 ALL 378

104.34%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$1.79 ALL 147

98.32%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.57 ALL 129

3.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.80 ALL 65.7

38.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.43 ALL 199

28.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.18 ALL 260

45.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$2.06 ALL 169

-17.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.93 ALL 75.9

192.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$2.01 ALL 165

-4.98%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.91 ALL 239

-12.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$6.87 ALL 563

46.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.89 ALL 401

65.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.35 ALL 849

12.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.52 ALL 125

95.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$2.34 ALL 192

-22.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.66 ALL 136

21.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.34 ALL 110

51.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$0.98 ALL 80.7

116.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.17 ALL 95.8

94.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.09 ALL 89.6

28.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.69 ALL 56.9

63.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.13 ALL 338

3.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$6.22 ALL 510

150.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.46 ALL 120

20.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.67 ALL 137

115.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.45 ALL 36.87

-15.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$11.61 ALL 952

65.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$3.60 ALL 295

-61.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$3.07 ALL 252

-90.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$17.92 ALL 1,470

-69.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$2.19 ALL 180

-40.64%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$34.6K ALL 2.8M

-45.99%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$24.9K ALL 2.0M

-7.01%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$67.9 ALL 5,570

-39.85%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$16.90 ALL 1,386

58.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$16.11 ALL 1,321

85.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$40.50 ALL 3,321

28.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$11.69 ALL 958

129.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.20 ALL 590

-12.50%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$89.0 ALL 7,296

390.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$1,796 ALL 147.3K

480.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$47.65 ALL 3,907

18.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$11.91 ALL 977

272.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$72.0 ALL 5,901

43.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$142 ALL 11.6K

-25.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$310 ALL 25.4K

230.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$300 ALL 24.6K

110.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$353 ALL 28.9K

505.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$347 ALL 28.4K

258.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$1,819 ALL 149.1K

114.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,231 ALL 101.0K

67.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$571 ALL 46.9K

95.14%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Shkoder: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $310 in Shkoder. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 95% 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 $288 vs $202 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 59% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $922 including rent). Shkoder is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 95% 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 $310 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 65% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $89.0 in Shkoder. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $922 in Shkoder versus $1,467 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 59% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.