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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $923 in Ungheni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,666 in Ungheni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,409 in Ungheni.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 59% more expensive than Ungheni, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Ungheni is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$7.16 MDL 123

84.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$30.56 MDL 525

76.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.76 MDL 99.0

63.54%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.47 MDL 25.32

141.50%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.71 MDL 12.20

128.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.39 MDL 6.78

184.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.44 MDL 24.69

116.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.43 MDL 24.57

223.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.29 MDL 22.15

31.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.45 MDL 7.69

504.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.00 MDL 17.20

91.00%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.16 MDL 37.20

17.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.55 MDL 130

32.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.98 MDL 68.4

103.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.76 MDL 116

71.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$0.56 MDL 9.54

430.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.50 MDL 25.84

20.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.73 MDL 29.81

16.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.36 MDL 23.31

49.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.54 MDL 9.36

292.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$0.33 MDL 5.74

587.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.36 MDL 23.31

2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.48 MDL 8.19

135.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.15 MDL 54.1

35.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$4.38 MDL 75.4

255.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.14 MDL 19.67

54.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.35 MDL 23.24

166.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.34 MDL 5.77

11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.71 MDL 29.48

-19.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.25 MDL 4.27

12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$4.49 MDL 77.3

21.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.24 MDL 21.27

4.84%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$32.6K MDL 559.8K

-42.61%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$30.9K MDL 531.6K

-25.21%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$167 MDL 2,865

-75.48%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$7.73 MDL 133

246.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$10.66 MDL 183

181.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$20.83 MDL 358

149.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.03 MDL 69.3

56.33%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$395 MDL 6,786

10.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$7,623 MDL 131.0K

36.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$43.67 MDL 751

29.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$21.84 MDL 376

103.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$39.71 MDL 683

159.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$110 MDL 1,887

-3.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$940 MDL 16.2K

8.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$367 MDL 6,302

72.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,488 MDL 25.6K

43.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$1,247 MDL 21.4K

-0.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,361 MDL 40.6K

65.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,752 MDL 30.1K

17.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ungheni: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $940 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 $288 vs $149 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 59% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $923 including rent). Ungheni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,384 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $940 in Ungheni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $395 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 $923 in Ungheni versus $1,467 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 59% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.