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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $928 in Ungheni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,683 in Ungheni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,439 in Ungheni.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 57% more expensive than in Ungheni, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Ungheni is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$7.39 MDL 129

76.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$30.66 MDL 534

75.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.99 MDL 104

61.60%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.50 MDL 26.12

149.33%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.70 MDL 12.20

131.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.43 MDL 7.41

169.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.42 MDL 24.70

127.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$1.49 MDL 26.00

218.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.25 MDL 21.72

32.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.45 MDL 7.88

511.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.00 MDL 17.39

87.00%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.28 MDL 39.64

9.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$7.70 MDL 134

32.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.03 MDL 70.2

104.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$6.84 MDL 119

72.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$0.55 MDL 9.51

447.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.49 MDL 25.91

21.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.68 MDL 29.28

19.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.28 MDL 22.31

56.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.55 MDL 9.55

278.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.34 MDL 5.87

567.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.35 MDL 23.58

8.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.52 MDL 9.03

107.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.05 MDL 53.1

42.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$4.34 MDL 75.6

291.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.19 MDL 20.69

45.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.29 MDL 22.39

177.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.37 MDL 6.39

5.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.73 MDL 30.14

-23.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.27 MDL 4.74

3.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$4.45 MDL 77.5

17.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.28 MDL 22.20

4.69%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$32.2K MDL 560.2K

-39.66%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$31.0K MDL 539.2K

-23.04%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$162 MDL 2,827

-74.93%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$7.51 MDL 131

257.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$10.77 MDL 188

183.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$20.57 MDL 358

156.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$4.15 MDL 72.3

56.87%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$397 MDL 6,921

7.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$7,518 MDL 130.9K

39.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$44.37 MDL 773

29.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$21.61 MDL 376

110.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$40.25 MDL 701

158.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$110 MDL 1,913

-1.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$963 MDL 16.8K

4.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$365 MDL 6,351

70.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$1,508 MDL 26.3K

39.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$1,280 MDL 22.3K

-4.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,307 MDL 40.2K

68.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,693 MDL 29.5K

20.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

41.75%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ungheni: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $963 in Ungheni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $31.00 in Ungheni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $150 per month, with Ungheni 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 Ungheni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Ungheni differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $928 including rent). Ungheni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,392 in Ungheni to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $963 in Ungheni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $397 in Ungheni. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ungheni – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $928 in Ungheni versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ungheni but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ungheni 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 Ungheni 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 Ungheni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.