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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $872 in Tesanj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,322 in Tesanj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,772 in Tesanj.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 68% more expensive than Tesanj, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Tesanj is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.51 BAM 5.89

275.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$16.66 BAM 27.99

223.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.00 BAM 5.04

214.00%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$0.85 BAM 1.43

317.65%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.48 BAM 2.49

9.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.90 BAM 1.50

23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.09 BAM 3.51

49.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.81 BAM 3.05

155.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$0.85 BAM 1.43

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.90 BAM 1.51

202.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.40 BAM 4.03

-20.42%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.78 BAM 4.67

-8.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$9.76 BAM 16.40

2.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.30 BAM 12.27

10.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$13.16 BAM 22.10

-11.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.25 BAM 2.09

137.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.69 BAM 2.85

7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.92 BAM 3.22

4.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.66 BAM 2.78

22.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.80 BAM 1.34

165.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$0.70 BAM 1.18

224.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.93 BAM 1.56

50.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.96 BAM 1.62

17.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.49 BAM 5.86

22.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$8.49 BAM 14.26

83.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.25 BAM 2.11

40.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.06 BAM 3.46

74.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.85 BAM 3.11

-79.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$35.58 BAM 59.8

-46.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.16 BAM 1.95

18.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.52 BAM 0.88

-46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$10.67 BAM 17.93

-48.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.44 BAM 2.42

-9.72%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$23.4K BAM 39.3K

-20.02%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$26.7K BAM 44.9K

-13.42%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$124 BAM 209

-67.11%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$19.29 BAM 32.41

38.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$28.67 BAM 48.17

4.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$29.51 BAM 49.58

76.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$10.80 BAM 18.15

148.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$2.94 BAM 4.94

114.29%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$150 BAM 251

191.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$3,312 BAM 5,565

214.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$71.8 BAM 121

-21.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$35.38 BAM 59.5

25.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$99.9 BAM 168

3.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$120 BAM 201

-11.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$262 BAM 440

290.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$168 BAM 283

274.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$370 BAM 621

477.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$313 BAM 526

297.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,603 BAM 4,373

49.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,839 BAM 3,090

12.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$715 BAM 1,201

55.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.14

173.91%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tesanj: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $262 in Tesanj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 56% 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 $17.00 in Tesanj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $222 per month, with Tesanj 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 Tesanj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tesanj differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $872 including rent). Tesanj is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 56% 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 $262 in Tesanj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tesanj runs roughly 86% 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 $150 in Tesanj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $872 in Tesanj versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tesanj but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tesanj 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 Tesanj 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 Tesanj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.