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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Nis versus $1,682 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,534 in Nis versus $2,599 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,037 in Nis versus $3,516 in Mexico City.

Living in Nis costs roughly 39% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nis is 25% below, Mexico City is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.70 RSD 772

$11.83 MX$200

-34.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.87 RSD 3,395

$52.2 MX$884

-35.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 RSD 1,064

$10.87 MX$184

-2.30%

Cappuccino

$2.09 RSD 210

$4.03 MX$68.2

-48.14%

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

$2.34 RSD 235

$1.71 MX$28.99

36.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RSD 171

$1.34 MX$22.70

27.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 RSD 365

$3.39 MX$57.5

7.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 RSD 441

$5.74 MX$97.3

-23.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 RSD 118

$1.89 MX$31.99

-38.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 RSD 71.1

$3.17 MX$53.8

-77.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 RSD 178

$2.05 MX$34.74

-13.66%

Eggs

$2.38 RSD 239

$3.01 MX$51.1

-20.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 RSD 790

$12.61 MX$214

-37.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.17 RSD 618

$9.94 MX$169

-37.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.75 RSD 1,078

$16.00 MX$271

-32.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 RSD 106

$3.28 MX$55.6

-67.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 RSD 172

$2.06 MX$34.87

-16.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 RSD 150

$2.09 MX$35.36

-28.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 RSD 214

$2.50 MX$42.44

-14.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RSD 80.7

$2.05 MX$34.76

-60.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 RSD 75.8

$1.87 MX$31.70

-59.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 RSD 65.3

$1.57 MX$26.66

-58.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 RSD 62.0

$1.39 MX$23.64

-55.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 RSD 444

$5.38 MX$91.2

-17.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 RSD 581

$17.95 MX$304

-67.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 RSD 71.3

$2.02 MX$34.31

-64.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 RSD 128

$4.76 MX$80.7

-73.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 RSD 40.26

$0.36 MX$6.13

11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.80 MX$353

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 RSD 186

$2.06 MX$34.92

-9.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RSD 61.4

$0.56 MX$9.55

8.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.48 RSD 850

$5.82 MX$98.6

45.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 RSD 183

$1.54 MX$26.05

18.18%

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

$31.1K RSD 3.1M

$22.5K MX$380.6K

38.50%

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

$25.1K RSD 2.5M

$26.5K MX$448.7K

-5.23%

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

$160 RSD 16.0K

$66.0 MX$1,118

142.52%

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

$20.28 RSD 2,032

$30.98 MX$525

-34.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.61 RSD 2,366

$36.20 MX$613

-34.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.87 RSD 3,094

$57.5 MX$975

-46.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.27 RSD 1,631

$26.75 MX$453

-39.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.02 RSD 503

$7.13 MX$121

-29.59%

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

$251 RSD 25.2K

$457 MX$7,738

-44.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,091 RSD 510.2K

$13.2K MX$224.5K

-61.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.0 RSD 9,020

$75.8 MX$1,285

18.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.12 RSD 3,921

$54.1 MX$917

-27.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 RSD 10.2K

$116 MX$1,974

-12.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 RSD 11.3K

$122 MX$2,063

-7.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 RSD 39.5K

$1,147 MX$19.4K

-65.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 RSD 28.5K

$726 MX$12.3K

-60.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 RSD 61.8K

$2,503 MX$42.4K

-75.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 RSD 41.8K

$1,331 MX$22.6K

-68.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,570 RSD 257.5K

$3,895 MX$66.0K

-34.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 RSD 191.4K

$2,149 MX$36.4K

-11.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$889 RSD 89.1K

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-16.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

11.35

-56.48%

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

Last update for Nis: August 18, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $394 in Nis and $1,147 in Mexico City. 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: $34.00 in Nis vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $344 per month, with Nis 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

Nis vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nis and Mexico City differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $1,682 including rent). Nis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $394 in Nis versus $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $251 in Nis versus $457 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nis – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,031 in Nis versus $1,682 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nis but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Nis 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, Nis and Mexico City 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 Nis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.