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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $778 in Stip.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,138 in Stip.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,497 in Stip.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 89% more expensive than Stip, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Stip is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$5.74 MKD 302

129.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$16.11 MKD 849

234.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.92 MKD 259

91.46%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.89 MKD 99.4

87.83%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.74 MKD 92.0

-6.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$1.21 MKD 64.0

-8.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.21 MKD 117

41.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.79 MKD 147

65.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.29 MKD 67.9

31.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.68 MKD 35.66

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.10 MKD 58.2

73.64%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.10 MKD 111

20.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$10.32 MKD 544

-2.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.23 MKD 381

11.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.43 MKD 392

56.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$0.97 MKD 51.2

206.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.43 MKD 75.6

26.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.31 MKD 69.0

53.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.58 MKD 83.1

28.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.93 MKD 48.85

127.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.39 MKD 73.1

63.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.53 MKD 28.17

164.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.40 MKD 21.30

182.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.05 MKD 161

40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$7.49 MKD 395

107.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.01 MKD 53.4

74.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.81 MKD 95.3

98.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.63 MKD 33.06

-39.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$20.52 MKD 1,082

-6.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.10 MKD 58.1

25.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.49 MKD 25.84

-42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$5.61 MKD 296

-2.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.45 MKD 76.2

-10.34%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$31.4K MKD 1.7M

-40.43%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$34.4K MKD 1.8M

-32.74%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$144 MKD 7,568

-71.55%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$9.23 MKD 486

190.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$15.31 MKD 807

95.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$27.83 MKD 1,467

86.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.74 MKD 250

32.91%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$216 MKD 11.4K

101.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$1,182 MKD 62.3K

781.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$38.03 MKD 2,004

48.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$31.80 MKD 1,676

39.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$74.6 MKD 3,933

37.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$114 MKD 6,013

-7.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$207 MKD 10.9K

393.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$133 MKD 7,008

374.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$344 MKD 18.1K

520.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$204 MKD 10.8K

507.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,257 MKD 66.3K

210.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,026 MKD 54.1K

101.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$467 MKD 24.6K

138.96%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Stip: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $207 in Stip. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 139% 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 $288 vs $185 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 89% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $778 including rent). Stip is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 139% 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 $207 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 7% 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 $216 in Stip. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $778 in Stip versus $1,467 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 89% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.