Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,122 in Mexico versus $1,720 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,785 in Mexico versus $2,626 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,447 in Mexico versus $3,531 in Italy.

Living in Mexico costs about 35% less than in Italy on average.

Mexico (16% below) and Italy (29% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Mexico: monthly costs span $688 to $2,347, compared to $1,191–$2,443 in Italy. City choice carries more weight in Mexico.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.48 MX$181

$17.16 €14.86

-38.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.43 MX$734

$81.4 €70.5

-47.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.70 MX$133

$11.60 €10.05

-33.62%

Cappuccino

$3.44 MX$59.5

$1.98 €1.71

73.74%

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

$1.26 MX$21.83

$3.00 €2.60

-58.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.72

$1.36 €1.18

-33.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$40.77

$5.92 €5.13

-60.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 MX$74.3

$5.25 €4.55

-18.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$25.59

$1.70 €1.48

-12.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 MX$44.15

$2.37 €2.05

7.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.51

$3.03 €2.63

-43.56%

Eggs

$2.36 MX$40.85

$3.95 €3.42

-40.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 MX$152

$16.66 €14.43

-47.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.56 MX$131

$12.26 €10.61

-38.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 MX$191

$20.06 €17.37

-45.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MX$46.57

$2.55 €2.21

5.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$24.86

$2.20 €1.91

-34.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.58

$2.75 €2.38

-29.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.07

$3.22 €2.79

-42.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.04

$1.94 €1.68

1.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.77

$1.82 €1.58

10.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 MX$22.89

$1.48 €1.28

-10.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.32

$0.50 €0.43

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.0

$7.13 €6.17

-42.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 MX$198

$7.37 €6.38

55.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.51

$1.76 €1.52

-6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 MX$52.7

$2.53 €2.19

20.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$11.41

$1.99 €1.72

-66.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.28 MX$455

$42.32 €36.65

-37.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 MX$46.50

$5.67 €4.91

-52.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 MX$34.57

$1.52 €1.31

31.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 MX$184

$34.94 €30.25

-69.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.12

$2.09 €1.81

-38.76%

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

$20.6K MX$357.0K

$32.7K €28.3K

-36.82%

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

$23.2K MX$402.1K

$32.9K €28.5K

-29.38%

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

$63.5 MX$1,099

$227 €196

-71.99%

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

$23.01 MX$398

$13.58 €11.76

69.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.12 MX$486

$31.57 €27.34

-10.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.83 MX$620

$57.7 €49.93

-37.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 MX$322

$25.23 €21.85

-26.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.71 MX$81.5

$10.59 €9.18

-55.52%

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

$248 MX$4,297

$568 €492

-56.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,644 MX$97.6K

$10.5K €9,126

-46.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 MX$913

$90.7 €78.5

-41.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.62 MX$720

$40.49 €35.06

2.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 MX$1,604

$99.8 €86.4

-7.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.3 MX$1,510

$130 €112

-32.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$644 MX$11.1K

$865 €749

-25.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$439 MX$7,598

$672 €582

-34.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 MX$20.9K

$1,523 €1,319

-20.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$868 MX$15.0K

$1,078 €934

-19.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,595 MX$44.9K

$3,767 €3,262

-31.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,569 MX$27.1K

$2,360 €2,044

-33.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$807 MX$14.0K

$1,949 €1,688

-58.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.41

159.64%

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

Last update for Mexico: July 28, 2026

Last update for Italy: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $530 in Mexico, $743 in Italy. Capital cities: $1,014 in Mexico City vs $1,334 in Rome.

National salary averages: $761 in Mexico, $1,912 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 40% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 90% more in Italy.

Public transport is 300% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 151% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

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 vs Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,817 per month in Italy and $1,518 in Mexico, there's a 20% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Mexico: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy is consistently higher than in Mexico across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Mexico, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Italy it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Mexico wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.