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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $998 in Tetovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,481 in Tetovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,963 in Tetovo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 47% more expensive than Tetovo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Tetovo is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$5.80 MKD 306

127.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$25.17 MKD 1,327

114.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.15 MKD 271

82.91%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.46 MKD 77.1

143.15%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.48 MKD 78.1

9.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.95 MKD 50.3

16.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.22 MKD 117

40.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.20 MKD 116

110.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.25 MKD 66.0

36.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.64 MKD 33.91

325.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.35 MKD 71.2

41.48%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.09 MKD 110

21.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.34 MKD 387

36.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.29 MKD 279

52.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.45 MKD 551

11.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.08 MKD 56.9

175.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.39 MKD 73.2

30.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.02 MKD 53.5

97.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.57 MKD 83.0

29.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.92 MKD 48.29

130.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$0.72 MKD 38.10

215.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.85 MKD 44.75

64.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.55 MKD 29.21

105.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.12 MKD 165

36.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$4.80 MKD 253

224.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.01 MKD 53.2

74.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.47 MKD 77.3

144.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.36 MKD 19.22

5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$11.24 MKD 592

70.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.15 MKD 60.7

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.50 MKD 26.33

-44.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$6.66 MKD 351

-18.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.50 MKD 78.9

-13.33%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$32.0K MKD 1.7M

-41.64%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$33.9K MKD 1.8M

-31.87%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$144 MKD 7,611

-71.71%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$17.60 MKD 928

52.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$15.27 MKD 804

96.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$90.4 MKD 4,761

-42.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.63 MKD 244

36.07%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$222 MKD 11.7K

96.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$2,221 MKD 117.1K

368.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$67.0 MKD 3,533

-15.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$47.33 MKD 2,494

-6.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$74.8 MKD 3,940

37.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$111 MKD 5,848

-4.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$369 MKD 19.5K

176.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$285 MKD 15.0K

121.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$601 MKD 31.7K

255.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$500 MKD 26.3K

148.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,287 MKD 67.8K

203.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,142 MKD 60.2K

80.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$912 MKD 48.1K

22.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.75

202.40%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tetovo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $369 in Tetovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 22% 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 $25.00 in Tetovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $170 per month, with Tetovo 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 Tetovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tetovo differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $998 including rent). Tetovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 22% 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 $369 in Tetovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tetovo runs roughly 71% 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 $222 in Tetovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $998 in Tetovo versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tetovo but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tetovo 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 Tetovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.