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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,941 in Olten versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,458 in Olten versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,975 in Olten versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Olten is roughly 100% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Olten 119% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.87 CHF 24.36

$13.18 MX$228

134.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 CHF 82.9

$53.9 MX$931

94.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.57 CHF 13.86

$9.42 MX$163

86.52%

Cappuccino

$5.47 CHF 4.31

$3.55 MX$61.3

54.08%

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

$5.34 CHF 4.22

$1.62 MX$27.95

229.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 CHF 3.65

$1.11 MX$19.25

316.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 CHF 5.43

$3.12 MX$53.9

120.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 CHF 4.97

$4.63 MX$80.0

35.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 CHF 1.65

$1.70 MX$29.40

22.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 CHF 2.68

$2.72 MX$46.97

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 CHF 3.26

$1.91 MX$33.04

115.71%

Eggs

$7.54 CHF 5.95

$2.54 MX$43.82

196.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.64 CHF 17.07

$10.03 MX$173

115.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.89 CHF 20.43

$8.09 MX$140

220.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.22 CHF 31.74

$11.62 MX$201

246.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 CHF 3.19

$2.97 MX$51.3

36.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.90

$1.81 MX$31.21

32.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 CHF 2.35

$2.01 MX$34.79

47.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 CHF 3.99

$2.03 MX$35.16

148.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 CHF 2.17

$2.12 MX$36.71

29.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 CHF 1.87

$2.27 MX$39.21

4.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CHF 1.94

$1.40 MX$24.20

75.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CHF 1.20

$1.13 MX$19.53

34.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.95 CHF 8.64

$4.27 MX$73.8

156.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 CHF 12.17

$15.56 MX$269

-0.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$1.76 MX$30.36

22.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.91

$3.60 MX$62.1

-32.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 CHF 3.10

$0.38 MX$6.62

934.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 CHF 79.0

$19.18 MX$331

422.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.53 CHF 5.94

$1.38 MX$23.77

445.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.14 CHF 3.27

$0.28 MX$4.78

1378.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.5 CHF 48.53

$5.45 MX$94.1

1028.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.80

$1.30 MX$22.53

75.38%

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

$40.7K CHF 32.1K

$18.7K MX$322.9K

117.58%

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

$39.3K CHF 31.0K

$23.1K MX$399.7K

69.96%

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

$260 CHF 205

$40.86 MX$706

536.69%

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

$33.65 CHF 26.56

$26.81 MX$463

25.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 CHF 45.54

$29.96 MX$518

92.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 CHF 48.36

$52.0 MX$899

17.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.65 CHF 14.72

$26.84 MX$464

-30.51%

Cinema Ticket

$24.88 CHF 19.64

$6.30 MX$109

294.92%

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

$3,433 CHF 2,709

$436 MX$7,536

687.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.9K CHF 31.5K

$10.4K MX$180.0K

282.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 111

$56.7 MX$979

148.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.2 CHF 48.33

$44.38 MX$767

37.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 CHF 118

$103 MX$1,779

45.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 156

$106 MX$1,823

87.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 CHF 985

$1,022 MX$17.7K

22.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 CHF 839

$631 MX$10.9K

68.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 CHF 1,568

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-7.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 CHF 1,348

$1,243 MX$21.5K

37.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,351 CHF 3,433

$1,115 MX$19.3K

290.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

11.34

-81.57%

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

Last update for Olten: May 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,248 in Olten and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Olten pays 290% 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: $105 in Olten vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $576 vs $288 per month, with Mexico City 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

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

Olten and Mexico City differ by about 100% in total monthly costs ($2,941 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Olten pays 290% more on average, 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: $1,248 in Olten versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 422% less than in Olten. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,433 in Olten versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,941 in Olten, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Olten. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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, Olten 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Olten. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.