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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $1,039 in Targu Jiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,627 in Targu Jiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $2,214 in Targu Jiu.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$13.93 RON 60.5

-4.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$68.5 RON 297

-21.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.09 RON 35.10

16.44%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$3.44 RON 14.93

4.36%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.17 RON 5.07

38.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$2.29 RON 9.94

-51.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$3.52 RON 15.29

-7.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$3.85 RON 16.71

20.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.75 RON 7.58

-6.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$1.43 RON 6.20

85.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.92 RON 8.32

2.08%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$3.08 RON 13.38

-17.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$7.97 RON 34.59

25.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$3.30 RON 14.31

154.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$8.05 RON 34.95

46.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$1.02 RON 4.43

180.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.64 RON 7.14

5.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$1.25 RON 5.41

59.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.37 RON 5.93

49.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$0.94 RON 4.08

119.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$0.96 RON 4.17

137.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$0.70 RON 3.06

107.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.56 RON 2.45

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$5.66 RON 24.55

-24.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$3.24 RON 14.06

352.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$0.94 RON 4.06

87.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$1.12 RON 4.86

218.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.72 RON 3.11

-47.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

$19.69 RON 85.4

-4.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$0.70 RON 3.05

98.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$0.61 RON 2.64

-50.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$7.01 RON 30.42

-22.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.67 RON 7.25

-19.76%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$28.8K RON 125.2K

-34.64%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$29.9K RON 129.8K

-22.42%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$178 RON 771

-77.31%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$6.41 RON 27.82

323.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$10.25 RON 44.49

187.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$41.67 RON 181

26.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$19.38 RON 84.1

35.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$9.38 RON 40.71

-34.12%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$670 RON 2,906

-34.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$14.5K RON 63.0K

-26.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$55.8 RON 242

2.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$27.14 RON 118

65.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$56.8 RON 247

82.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$93.7 RON 407

16.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$375 RON 1,627

166.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$250 RON 1,084

153.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$527 RON 2,287

306.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$440 RON 1,911

184.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$2,788 RON 12.1K

34.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

$565 RON 2,454

90.86%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Targu Jiu: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $375 in Targu Jiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 91% 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 in Mexico City vs $68 in Targu Jiu. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $171, with Targu Jiu cheaper for home cooking.

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 Jiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Targu Jiu differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $1,039 including rent). Targu Jiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 91% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $375 in Targu Jiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Targu Jiu runs roughly 5% 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 $670 in Targu Jiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,039 in Targu Jiu versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Targu Jiu but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Jiu 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 Targu Jiu 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.