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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $774 in Stip.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,153 in Stip.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,532 in Stip.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 88% more expensive than in Stip, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Stip is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$5.80 MKD 311

125.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$15.99 MKD 858

236.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.95 MKD 266

95.56%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.98 MKD 106

88.89%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.76 MKD 94.5

-7.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$1.23 MKD 66.1

-5.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.29 MKD 123

41.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.65 MKD 142

78.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.33 MKD 71.2

24.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.67 MKD 36.09

310.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.12 MKD 60.0

66.96%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.03 MKD 109

23.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$10.33 MKD 555

-1.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$7.34 MKD 394

12.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$7.50 MKD 403

57.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$0.90 MKD 48.53

234.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.38 MKD 74.0

31.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.31 MKD 70.2

52.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.63 MKD 87.5

22.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.99 MKD 52.9

110.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.37 MKD 73.8

65.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.58 MKD 31.02

151.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.41 MKD 22.01

163.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.95 MKD 159

47.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$7.60 MKD 408

123.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$0.99 MKD 53.1

74.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.79 MKD 95.9

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.64 MKD 34.35

-39.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$19.79 MKD 1,063

-5.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.16 MKD 62.1

14.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.53 MKD 28.38

-47.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$5.61 MKD 301

-6.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.49 MKD 80.0

-10.07%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$31.7K MKD 1.7M

-38.84%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$34.4K MKD 1.8M

-30.67%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$147 MKD 7,914

-72.40%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$9.36 MKD 503

187.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$15.45 MKD 829

97.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$27.94 MKD 1,500

88.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$4.75 MKD 255

37.05%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$219 MKD 11.8K

95.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$1,186 MKD 63.7K

784.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$36.87 MKD 1,979

55.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$31.76 MKD 1,705

43.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$75.4 MKD 4,049

37.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$114 MKD 6,105

-5.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$209 MKD 11.2K

381.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$133 MKD 7,150

367.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$338 MKD 18.1K

524.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$203 MKD 10.9K

501.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,228 MKD 65.9K

216.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$988 MKD 53.0K

105.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$463 MKD 24.9K

124.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

7.1

59.72%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Stip: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $209 in Stip. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 124% 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 $16.00 in Stip for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $186 per month, with Stip 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 Stip: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Stip differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $774 including rent). Stip is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 124% 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 $209 in Stip. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Stip runs roughly 6% 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 $219 in Stip. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $774 in Stip versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Stip but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Stip 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 Stip 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 Stip gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.