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: $2,973 in Olten versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,526 in Olten versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,078 in Olten versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Olten is roughly 104% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Olten 123% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.25 CHF 25.31

$13.07 MX$228

139.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 CHF 83.2

$53.8 MX$936

91.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.04 CHF 13.81

$9.68 MX$169

76.03%

Cappuccino

$5.51 CHF 4.46

$3.74 MX$65.1

47.33%

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

$5.20 CHF 4.21

$1.62 MX$28.13

220.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 CHF 3.65

$1.16 MX$20.23

288.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.27 CHF 5.89

$3.23 MX$56.2

125.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 CHF 5.07

$4.74 MX$82.5

32.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 CHF 1.67

$1.65 MX$28.68

25.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 CHF 2.77

$2.75 MX$47.95

24.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 CHF 3.30

$1.87 MX$32.63

118.18%

Eggs

$7.52 CHF 6.09

$2.50 MX$43.54

200.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.94 CHF 17.77

$10.20 MX$178

115.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.36 CHF 20.54

$8.25 MX$144

207.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.38 CHF 32.70

$11.82 MX$206

241.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 CHF 3.42

$3.01 MX$52.4

40.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$1.81 MX$31.54

39.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$2.00 MX$34.81

52.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 CHF 4.08

$2.00 MX$34.74

152.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.21

$2.08 MX$36.30

31.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.86

$2.27 MX$39.56

1.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CHF 2.07

$1.46 MX$25.36

75.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$1.08 MX$18.74

37.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.01 CHF 8.92

$4.35 MX$75.7

153.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.29 CHF 10.76

$16.99 MX$296

-21.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 CHF 1.67

$1.73 MX$30.18

19.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CHF 1.97

$3.58 MX$62.3

-32.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.86 CHF 3.13

$0.39 MX$6.74

889.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.2 CHF 79.6

$18.69 MX$325

425.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 CHF 6.27

$1.33 MX$23.08

481.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.21 CHF 3.41

$0.28 MX$4.87

1403.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.7 CHF 50.8

$5.25 MX$91.5

1093.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$1.34 MX$23.27

67.16%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.2K

$19.4K MX$338.0K

104.65%

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

$40.0K CHF 32.4K

$23.8K MX$415.0K

67.70%

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

$254 CHF 206

$40.69 MX$709

524.92%

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

$33.62 CHF 27.24

$26.87 MX$468

25.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 CHF 47.04

$30.51 MX$531

90.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 CHF 50.5

$52.8 MX$919

18.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.77 CHF 15.21

$26.65 MX$464

-29.57%

Cinema Ticket

$25.09 CHF 20.32

$6.51 MX$113

285.41%

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

$3,456 CHF 2,799

$428 MX$7,454

707.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.7K CHF 32.1K

$10.5K MX$182.8K

277.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 113

$57.3 MX$997

143.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 CHF 49.15

$45.50 MX$792

33.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 CHF 118

$104 MX$1,812

40.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 160

$108 MX$1,878

83.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 CHF 1,017

$1,003 MX$17.5K

25.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 CHF 849

$623 MX$10.8K

68.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 CHF 1,585

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-7.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 CHF 1,374

$1,218 MX$21.2K

39.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$3,885 MX$67.6K

275.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10.1K

$2,033 MX$35.4K

512.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,205 CHF 3,406

$1,038 MX$18.1K

305.22%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,256 in Olten and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Olten pays 305% 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: $103 in Olten vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $571 vs $292 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 104% in total monthly costs ($2,973 vs $1,456 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 305% 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: $1,256 in Olten versus $1,003 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 426% less than in Olten. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,456 in Olten versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,973 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 104% less than in Olten. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.