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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,387 in Oslo versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,974 in Oslo versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,560 in Oslo versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Oslo is roughly 102% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 146% above, Mexico City 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.27 NOK 197

$12.14 MX$206

75.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 NOK 1,185

$53.9 MX$914

137.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.44 NOK 153

$11.09 MX$188

48.24%

Cappuccino

$5.90 NOK 54.7

$4.10 MX$69.5

43.90%

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

$4.24 NOK 39.33

$1.68 MX$28.53

152.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 NOK 33.09

$1.39 MX$23.55

156.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.07 NOK 112

$3.33 MX$56.5

262.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.80 NOK 119

$5.88 MX$99.7

117.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 NOK 23.90

$1.85 MX$31.41

39.46%

White Bread (500g)

$4.34 NOK 40.29

$3.17 MX$53.8

36.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 NOK 42.88

$2.07 MX$35.13

123.19%

Eggs

$6.15 NOK 57.1

$2.93 MX$49.67

109.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 NOK 137

$12.59 MX$214

16.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.54 NOK 144

$10.11 MX$172

53.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.93 NOK 287

$16.09 MX$273

92.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.04

$3.39 MX$57.5

-1.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 25.89

$2.08 MX$35.26

34.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.23

$2.12 MX$35.97

63.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.99 NOK 55.5

$2.41 MX$40.95

148.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 NOK 24.95

$2.13 MX$36.11

26.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.76

$2.01 MX$34.02

43.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.26 NOK 30.22

$1.55 MX$26.21

110.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 NOK 23.76

$1.36 MX$23.15

88.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.43 NOK 180

$5.77 MX$97.8

236.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.04 NOK 158

$17.74 MX$301

-3.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.60 NOK 33.38

$2.07 MX$35.11

73.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.08

$4.61 MX$78.3

-6.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.98 NOK 46.20

$0.37 MX$6.21

1245.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.3 NOK 800

$21.18 MX$359

307.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.52 NOK 116

$2.05 MX$34.84

510.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 17.80

$0.58 MX$9.79

231.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.6 NOK 655

$6.07 MX$103

1063.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 NOK 20.96

$1.55 MX$26.34

45.81%

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

$48.7K NOK 451.7K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

112.88%

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

$45.3K NOK 420.1K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

66.30%

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

$424 NOK 3,932

$67.4 MX$1,144

528.79%

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

$32.72 NOK 304

$30.62 MX$520

6.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.1 NOK 530

$37.24 MX$632

53.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.3 NOK 559

$61.5 MX$1,043

-1.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.67 NOK 275

$27.12 MX$460

9.40%

Cinema Ticket

$19.71 NOK 183

$7.11 MX$121

177.22%

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

$252 NOK 2,336

$456 MX$7,739

-44.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K NOK 150.6K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

18.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 963

$74.2 MX$1,259

39.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.7 NOK 582

$57.0 MX$967

9.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 NOK 1,247

$115 MX$1,958

16.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,502

$122 MX$2,061

33.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 NOK 19.0K

$1,148 MX$19.5K

78.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 NOK 14.3K

$709 MX$12.0K

117.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,027 NOK 28.1K

$2,577 MX$43.7K

17.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,304 NOK 21.4K

$1,295 MX$22.0K

77.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K NOK 113.6K

$4,005 MX$67.9K

205.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,156 NOK 66.4K

$2,130 MX$36.1K

236.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,594 NOK 42.6K

$1,082 MX$18.4K

324.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

11.3

-56.11%

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

Last update for Oslo: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,043 in Oslo and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 325% 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: $128 in Oslo vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $523 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

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

Oslo and Mexico City differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($3,387 vs $1,677 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 325% higher in Oslo, 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: $2,043 in Oslo versus $1,148 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 307% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $252 in Oslo versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,677 in Mexico City versus $3,387 in Oslo, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Oslo. 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, Oslo 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 102% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.