Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Struga

For one person, living is cheaper in Struga: $867 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,567
/mo nomad
Struga
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
$867
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Struga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $867 in Struga.

  • Mexico City $1,567
  • Struga $867

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $1,319 in Struga.

  • Mexico City $2,450
  • Struga $1,319

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $1,771 in Struga.

  • Mexico City $3,333
  • Struga $1,771

Living in Mexico City is roughly 81% more expensive than in Struga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Struga is 36% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Struga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.75 MX$199
$7.38 MKD 402
45.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.3 MX$929
$29.55 MKD 1,612
70.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.10 MX$205
$5.35 MKD 292
107.48%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$1.50 MKD 81.9
145.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 MX$30.42
$1.79 MKD 97.7
-7.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.08
$1.17 MKD 63.7
11.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.32 MX$61.3
$2.73 MKD 149
21.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 MX$102
$3.04 MKD 166
82.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Struga
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.77 MX$32.68
$1.26 MKD 68.9
40.48%
White Bread (500g)
$3.05 MX$56.4
$0.69 MKD 37.56
342.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.20
$1.61 MKD 87.8
24.84%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$51.1
$1.97 MKD 107
40.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.91 MX$220
$7.78 MKD 424
53.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 MX$172
$6.37 MKD 348
46.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.02 MX$278
$12.59 MKD 687
19.30%
Apples (1kg)
$3.08 MX$56.8
$1.47 MKD 80.3
109.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.97
$1.32 MKD 71.8
47.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.54
$1.30 MKD 70.7
56.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.21 MX$40.92
$1.60 MKD 87.4
38.12%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.41
$0.87 MKD 47.52
132.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.67
$0.80 MKD 43.56
127.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$0.59 MKD 32.44
157.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.65
$0.55 MKD 29.88
132.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.27 MX$97.4
$3.42 MKD 186
54.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.12 MX$298
$4.51 MKD 246
257.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 MX$36.05
$1.06 MKD 57.9
83.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$78.6
$1.46 MKD 79.7
191.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Struga
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.82
$0.89 MKD 48.58
-65.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.85 MX$367
$53.6 MKD 2,924
-62.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.93
$1.12 MKD 61.0
78.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.86
$0.62 MKD 33.69
-14.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.62 MX$104
$4.87 MKD 266
15.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$1.49 MKD 81.3
2.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$388.7K
$36.0K MKD 2.0M
-41.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K MX$465.3K
$27.3K MKD 1.5M
-7.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Struga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.5 MX$1,155
$99.8 MKD 5,445
-37.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.77 MX$532
$10.97 MKD 599
162.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.45 MX$637
$18.76 MKD 1,024
83.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Struga
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,055
$19.98 MKD 1,090
185.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.81 MX$458
$11.68 MKD 637
112.41%
Cinema Ticket
$6.67 MX$123
$7.21 MKD 393
-7.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Struga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$431 MX$7,964
$116 MKD 6,348
270.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.7K MX$216.9K
$1,579 MKD 86.1K
643.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Struga
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.8 MX$1,308
$83.5 MKD 4,553
-15.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.8 MX$958
$30.17 MKD 1,646
71.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 MX$2,011
$70.1 MKD 3,825
55.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 MX$2,076
$52.4 MKD 2,856
114.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Struga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,051 MX$19.4K
$269 MKD 14.7K
290.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 MX$12.3K
$225 MKD 12.3K
195.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,346 MX$43.3K
$439 MKD 23.9K
434.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,227 MX$22.7K
$355 MKD 19.4K
245.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,554 MX$65.7K
$1,504 MKD 82.0K
136.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,977 MX$36.5K
$1,328 MKD 72.4K
48.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Struga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$975 MX$18.0K
$867 MKD 47.3K
12.36%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
3.75
201.33%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Struga: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$665
Struga
$225 66.2% $440
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$323
Struga
$186 42.5% $137
Eating Out
Mexico City
$203
Struga
$125 38.6% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$155
Struga
$106 31.3% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Struga
$130 3.1% $3.9
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Struga
$34 51.1% $36
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Struga
$61 138% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Mexico City and $269 in Struga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 12% 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: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $30.00 in Struga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $186 per month, with Struga cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇲🇰 Struga
🕒 Local time
20:39 8:39 PM
04:39 4:39 AM
8 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
33,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Struga 10,860 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Struga

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 Struga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Mexico City and in Struga?
Mexico City and Struga differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($1,567 vs $867 including rent). Struga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Mexico City or Struga?
Average pay runs 12% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Mexico City and in Struga?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $269 in Struga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Mexico City and in Struga?
A monthly transit pass in Struga runs roughly 170% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Mexico City and Struga?
Childcare runs $431 in Mexico City versus $116 in Struga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $867 in Struga versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Struga but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Struga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Struga?
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.
Is Mexico City or Struga safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Mexico City and Struga are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Mexico City or Struga?
Expats usually find Struga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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