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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $954 in Tesanj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,390 in Tesanj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,825 in Tesanj.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 76% more expensive than in Tesanj, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Tesanj is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$205

$3.46 BAM 5.81

250.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$910

$16.42 BAM 27.59

228.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$187

$2.94 BAM 4.93

277.21%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.2

$0.91 BAM 1.53

350.55%

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

$1.68 MX$28.40

$1.44 BAM 2.42

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.44

$0.86 BAM 1.44

61.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.2

$2.07 BAM 3.48

60.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.3

$1.81 BAM 3.03

224.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.26

$0.81 BAM 1.36

128.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.5

$0.86 BAM 1.44

268.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$2.31 BAM 3.88

-10.39%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.44

$3.06 BAM 5.13

-4.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$213

$9.88 BAM 16.60

27.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$7.27 BAM 12.22

39.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$272

$13.43 BAM 22.55

19.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.2

$1.25 BAM 2.10

171.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.09

$1.81 BAM 3.04

14.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.80

$1.85 BAM 3.10

14.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.76

$1.74 BAM 2.93

38.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$0.79 BAM 1.33

169.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$33.86

$0.68 BAM 1.15

195.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.09

$0.95 BAM 1.59

63.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.04

$1.01 BAM 1.70

34.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.4

$4.00 BAM 6.72

44.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$300

$8.02 BAM 13.48

121.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.95

$1.31 BAM 2.19

58.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$77.9

$2.32 BAM 3.90

98.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.18

$1.31 BAM 2.20

-71.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$358

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.68

$1.17 BAM 1.97

75.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.74

$0.57 BAM 0.96

1.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$10.75 BAM 18.06

-43.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$1.53 BAM 2.57

1.31%

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

$22.9K MX$386.2K

$31.6K BAM 53.1K

-27.60%

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

$27.2K MX$459.8K

$22.4K BAM 37.6K

21.59%

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

$67.4 MX$1,138

$124 BAM 209

-45.71%

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

$30.62 MX$517

$18.92 BAM 31.78

61.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$629

$28.33 BAM 47.59

31.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,038

$34.48 BAM 57.9

78.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$458

$30.09 BAM 50.6

-9.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$120

$3.01 BAM 5.05

136.21%

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

$456 MX$7,703

$152 BAM 256

199.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$231.2K

$3,994 BAM 6,709

242.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,253

$116 BAM 195

-36.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$963

$34.80 BAM 58.5

63.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,949

$97.6 BAM 164

18.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,052

$117 BAM 197

3.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.4K

$349 BAM 586

228.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$262 BAM 441

170.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.5K

$528 BAM 888

387.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$21.9K

$380 BAM 638

240.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.6K

$2,544 BAM 4,272

57.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.0K

$1,825 BAM 3,065

16.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.3K

$715 BAM 1,201

51.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.3

162.79%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Tesanj: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $349 in Tesanj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 51% 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 Tesanj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $225 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 76% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $954 including rent). Tesanj is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 51% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $349 in Tesanj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $152 in Tesanj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tesanj – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $954 in Tesanj versus $1,677 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 76% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.