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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $983 in Onesti versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,459 in Onesti versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,935 in Onesti versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Onesti costs roughly 34% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Onesti is 27% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.09 RON 30.82

$12.98 MX$226

-45.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.66 RON 159

$53.1 MX$923

-30.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.50 RON 28.28

$9.72 MX$169

-33.13%

Cappuccino

$1.92 RON 8.37

$3.75 MX$65.2

-48.80%

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

$1.99 RON 8.67

$1.57 MX$27.30

26.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 6.95

$1.13 MX$19.64

41.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 RON 9.19

$3.18 MX$55.3

-33.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 RON 13.10

$4.66 MX$81.1

-35.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 RON 4.90

$1.62 MX$28.21

-30.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 RON 5.14

$2.71 MX$47.09

-56.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 RON 8.65

$1.88 MX$32.70

5.85%

Eggs

$2.92 RON 12.69

$2.51 MX$43.65

16.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.87 RON 34.23

$10.08 MX$175

-21.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 RON 29.68

$8.29 MX$144

-17.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 RON 48.54

$11.94 MX$208

-6.53%

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.22

$2.86 MX$49.77

-66.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 RON 6.81

$1.75 MX$30.45

-10.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.26

$2.08 MX$36.27

-30.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 RON 8.15

$1.97 MX$34.27

-5.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 RON 3.64

$2.16 MX$37.58

-61.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 RON 4.62

$2.18 MX$37.94

-51.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 RON 4.56

$1.39 MX$24.20

-24.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 RON 2.82

$1.12 MX$19.57

-41.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 RON 24.76

$4.20 MX$73.1

35.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 RON 25.13

$14.25 MX$248

-59.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 RON 4.13

$1.76 MX$30.68

-46.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 RON 6.39

$3.68 MX$64.1

-60.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.06

$0.39 MX$6.71

79.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.91 RON 86.6

$18.66 MX$325

6.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 RON 5.09

$1.39 MX$24.12

-15.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.60

$0.30 MX$5.29

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 RON 29.45

$5.42 MX$94.3

24.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 RON 7.03

$1.35 MX$23.50

20.00%

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

$28.4K RON 123.4K

$18.9K MX$328.6K

50.27%

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

$25.4K RON 110.3K

$23.2K MX$402.8K

9.53%

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

$161 RON 702

$40.82 MX$710

295.10%

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

$8.00 RON 34.82

$27.50 MX$479

-70.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.65 RON 41.97

$30.38 MX$529

-68.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.75 RON 182

$53.4 MX$930

-21.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.21 RON 83.5

$26.30 MX$458

-26.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 RON 29.49

$6.27 MX$109

8.13%

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

$305 RON 1,329

$436 MX$7,588

-29.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,768 RON 42.5K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-6.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.53 RON 163

$56.8 MX$988

-33.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.43 RON 132

$44.79 MX$779

-32.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 RON 317

$103 MX$1,789

-29.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.1 RON 322

$108 MX$1,878

-31.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 RON 1,684

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-61.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 RON 1,270

$620 MX$10.8K

-52.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 RON 2,596

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-72.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 RON 1,874

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-65.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,781 RON 7,746

$3,865 MX$67.3K

-53.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,374 RON 5,975

$2,332 MX$40.6K

-41.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$687 RON 2,986

$1,067 MX$18.6K

-35.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.11

11.34

-37.30%

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

Last update for Onesti: April 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $387 in Onesti and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 55% 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: $37.00 in Onesti vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $286 per month, with Onesti 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

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

Onesti and Mexico City differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($983 vs $1,484 including rent). Onesti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 55% less. 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: $387 in Onesti versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Onesti runs roughly 7% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Onesti versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $983 in Onesti versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Onesti but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Onesti 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, Onesti 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 Onesti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.