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: $3,169 in Olten versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,940 in Olten versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,712 in Olten versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Olten is roughly 93% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Olten 131% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.18 CHF 27.65

$12.11 MX$205

182.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 CHF 99.9

$52.2 MX$883

136.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.95 CHF 14.52

$10.90 MX$184

64.68%

Cappuccino

$6.59 CHF 5.33

$4.05 MX$68.5

62.72%

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

$5.56 CHF 4.50

$1.72 MX$28.99

223.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 CHF 4.46

$1.38 MX$23.28

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 CHF 7.56

$3.47 MX$58.6

169.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.56 CHF 6.12

$5.81 MX$98.2

30.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.83

$1.85 MX$31.32

22.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.99 CHF 3.22

$3.22 MX$54.5

23.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 CHF 3.15

$2.09 MX$35.24

86.12%

Eggs

$8.76 CHF 7.09

$2.91 MX$49.16

201.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.96 CHF 21.00

$12.49 MX$211

107.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.37 CHF 22.14

$10.11 MX$171

170.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$47.48 CHF 38.42

$15.89 MX$269

198.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 CHF 3.44

$3.31 MX$56.0

28.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.29

$2.13 MX$35.94

32.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 CHF 2.48

$2.19 MX$37.02

40.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 CHF 3.93

$2.45 MX$41.36

98.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 CHF 2.17

$2.19 MX$36.99

22.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 CHF 1.80

$1.90 MX$32.19

16.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 2.01

$1.62 MX$27.30

53.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 CHF 1.05

$1.35 MX$22.81

-3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.06 CHF 8.95

$5.43 MX$91.7

103.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.74 CHF 11.12

$17.59 MX$297

-21.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CHF 2.22

$2.07 MX$34.95

32.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.55

$4.75 MX$80.2

-33.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.41 CHF 4.37

$0.34 MX$5.74

1491.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 CHF 88.6

$21.58 MX$365

407.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.24 CHF 6.67

$2.04 MX$34.48

303.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.80 CHF 3.88

$0.58 MX$9.77

727.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$90.3 CHF 73.0

$5.97 MX$101

1411.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.85

$1.62 MX$27.30

40.74%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.9K

$22.8K MX$385.5K

78.10%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.3K

$26.7K MX$450.6K

49.61%

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

$287 CHF 233

$65.2 MX$1,102

340.59%

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

$34.09 CHF 27.58

$29.87 MX$505

14.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.15 CHF 39.76

$36.55 MX$618

34.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.9 CHF 67.1

$61.0 MX$1,031

35.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$21.24 CHF 17.18

$6.85 MX$116

210.07%

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

$3,643 CHF 2,947

$453 MX$7,662

703.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.8K CHF 34.6K

$13.4K MX$226.0K

220.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 115

$75.0 MX$1,267

90.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 CHF 48.88

$55.3 MX$934

9.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$168 CHF 136

$114 MX$1,920

47.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$219 CHF 178

$123 MX$2,073

78.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CHF 1,020

$1,134 MX$19.2K

11.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 CHF 856

$712 MX$12.0K

48.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 CHF 1,605

$2,571 MX$43.4K

-22.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,954 CHF 1,581

$1,311 MX$22.2K

49.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,404 CHF 3,563

$1,047 MX$17.7K

320.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

11.3

-81.68%

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

Last update for Olten: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Olten and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Olten pays 321% 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: $123 in Olten vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $631 vs $345 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 93% in total monthly costs ($3,169 vs $1,646 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 321% higher in Olten, 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: $1,260 in Olten versus $1,134 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 407% less than in Olten. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,643 in Olten versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $3,169 in Olten, a $3,000 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 93% less than in Olten. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.