Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Targu Frumos Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Targu Frumos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $1,043 in Targu Frumos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,565 in Targu Frumos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $2,088 in Targu Frumos.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 41% more expensive than Targu Frumos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Targu Frumos is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$8.72 RON 37.83

52.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$40.31 RON 175

33.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.87 RON 38.49

6.20%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.22 RON 9.62

61.71%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.26 RON 5.47

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$1.10 RON 4.76

1.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$2.13 RON 9.23

52.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$2.83 RON 12.28

64.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.55 RON 6.71

5.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$1.22 RON 5.28

117.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.65 RON 7.18

18.79%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.94 RON 12.75

-13.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$8.40 RON 36.46

18.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$7.11 RON 30.86

18.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$12.70 RON 55.1

-6.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$0.99 RON 4.29

188.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.36 RON 5.89

27.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$1.51 RON 6.57

31.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.99 RON 8.63

3.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$0.93 RON 4.04

121.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$0.94 RON 4.08

142.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$0.75 RON 3.26

93.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.80 RON 3.48

36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$6.23 RON 27.02

-31.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$8.24 RON 35.78

78.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$1.04 RON 4.52

69.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$1.68 RON 7.30

112.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.72 RON 3.13

-47.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

$19.82 RON 86.0

-5.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$0.93 RON 4.05

49.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$0.66 RON 2.85

-54.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$7.45 RON 32.35

-27.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.53 RON 6.64

-12.42%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$28.2K RON 122.4K

-33.18%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$28.1K RON 121.8K

-17.33%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$170 RON 737

-76.26%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$8.65 RON 37.53

213.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$10.07 RON 43.72

192.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$40.95 RON 178

28.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$19.49 RON 84.6

34.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$5.79 RON 25.12

6.74%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$436 RON 1,892

1.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$6,824 RON 29.6K

56.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$71.0 RON 308

-19.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$32.57 RON 141

38.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$74.8 RON 325

38.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$79.9 RON 347

36.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$394 RON 1,708

154.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$292 RON 1,266

116.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$598 RON 2,594

258.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$432 RON 1,877

189.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$1,721 RON 7,469

117.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$1,382 RON 5,997

72.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

8.17

38.80%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Last update for Targu Frumos: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $394 in Targu Frumos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $40 in Targu Frumos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $216 per month, with Targu Frumos 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 Targu Frumos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Targu Frumos differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $1,043 including rent). Targu Frumos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,199 in Mexico City and $1,564 in Targu Frumos to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $394 in Targu Frumos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Targu Frumos 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 $441 in Mexico City versus $436 in Targu Frumos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,043 in Targu Frumos versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Targu Frumos but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Frumos 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 Targu Frumos 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 Targu Frumos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.