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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,044 in Tetovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,546 in Tetovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,048 in Tetovo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 61% more expensive than in Tetovo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Tetovo is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$7.44 MKD 393

63.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$28.55 MKD 1,508

88.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$6.12 MKD 323

81.21%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$1.62 MKD 85.6

153.09%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.60 MKD 84.7

5.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$1.03 MKD 54.3

34.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$2.25 MKD 119

48.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.30 MKD 122

155.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.32 MKD 69.9

40.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.67 MKD 35.33

373.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.43 MKD 75.4

44.76%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.11 MKD 112

38.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$7.35 MKD 388

71.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$5.55 MKD 293

82.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$10.44 MKD 551

54.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$1.43 MKD 75.6

137.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.42 MKD 75.2

46.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.00 MKD 52.7

112.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$2.09 MKD 110

15.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$0.86 MKD 45.30

147.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$0.73 MKD 38.78

175.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$0.66 MKD 34.68

134.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.57 MKD 29.88

138.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$3.14 MKD 166

83.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$4.80 MKD 254

269.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.10 MKD 58.0

88.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$1.48 MKD 78.4

211.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.40 MKD 20.87

-7.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$11.47 MKD 606

84.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.10 MKD 58.1

86.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.60 MKD 31.45

-3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$7.74 MKD 409

-21.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.52 MKD 80.2

1.97%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$36.4K MKD 1.9M

-37.18%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$28.2K MKD 1.5M

-3.26%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$165 MKD 8,736

-59.23%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$19.08 MKD 1,008

60.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$20.12 MKD 1,063

85.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$71.7 MKD 3,790

-14.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$18.56 MKD 980

46.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$5.76 MKD 304

23.44%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$228 MKD 12.0K

100.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$2,292 MKD 121.1K

497.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$65.7 MKD 3,469

12.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$40.10 MKD 2,119

42.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$109 MKD 5,735

6.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$117 MKD 6,162

4.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$369 MKD 19.5K

211.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$282 MKD 14.9K

151.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$605 MKD 32.0K

326.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$504 MKD 26.6K

156.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$1,284 MKD 67.8K

211.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,115 MKD 58.9K

90.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$899 MKD 47.5K

20.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.75

201.33%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Tetovo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $369 in Tetovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 20% 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 $29.00 in Tetovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $177 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 61% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,044 including rent). Tetovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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 $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 85% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $228 in Tetovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,044 in Tetovo versus $1,677 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 61% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.