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: $3,203 in Oslo versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,686 in Oslo versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,170 in Oslo versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Oslo is roughly 120% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 140% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 NOK 245

$13.07 MX$228

94.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,164

$53.8 MX$936

124.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.96 NOK 145

$9.68 MX$169

54.55%

Cappuccino

$5.08 NOK 49.07

$3.74 MX$65.1

35.83%

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

$4.10 NOK 39.66

$1.62 MX$28.13

153.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 30.85

$1.16 MX$20.23

175.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.37 NOK 120

$3.23 MX$56.2

282.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.03 NOK 107

$4.74 MX$82.5

132.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 23.24

$1.65 MX$28.68

45.45%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 NOK 39.00

$2.75 MX$47.95

46.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 35.50

$1.87 MX$32.63

96.26%

Eggs

$4.95 NOK 47.82

$2.50 MX$43.54

98.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.66 NOK 132

$10.20 MX$178

33.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.41 NOK 159

$8.25 MX$144

98.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.39 NOK 303

$11.82 MX$206

165.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.85

$3.01 MX$52.4

19.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 25.44

$1.81 MX$31.54

45.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 33.39

$2.00 MX$34.81

72.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 NOK 48.98

$2.00 MX$34.74

153.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 24.22

$2.08 MX$36.30

20.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 26.22

$2.27 MX$39.56

19.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 26.83

$1.46 MX$25.36

90.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 23.25

$1.08 MX$18.74

123.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.46 NOK 169

$4.35 MX$75.7

301.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 NOK 180

$16.99 MX$296

9.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 33.00

$1.73 MX$30.18

97.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 NOK 42.06

$3.58 MX$62.3

21.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 NOK 40.44

$0.39 MX$6.74

971.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.6 NOK 769

$18.69 MX$325

325.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 98.6

$1.33 MX$23.08

666.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 NOK 13.60

$0.28 MX$4.87

403.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.75 NOK 404

$5.25 MX$91.5

695.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.96

$1.34 MX$23.27

69.40%

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

$36.7K NOK 354.3K

$19.4K MX$338.0K

88.82%

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

$42.3K NOK 409.3K

$23.8K MX$415.0K

77.66%

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

$296 NOK 2,863

$40.69 MX$709

627.72%

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

$31.29 NOK 302

$26.87 MX$468

16.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 NOK 536

$30.51 MX$531

81.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 NOK 554

$52.8 MX$919

8.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.40 NOK 275

$26.65 MX$464

6.57%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 174

$6.51 MX$113

176.65%

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

$274 NOK 2,653

$428 MX$7,454

-35.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K NOK 141.9K

$10.5K MX$182.8K

39.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 999

$57.3 MX$997

80.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.5 NOK 623

$45.50 MX$792

41.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,169

$104 MX$1,812

16.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,620

$108 MX$1,878

55.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 NOK 16.4K

$1,003 MX$17.5K

69.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 NOK 13.9K

$623 MX$10.8K

131.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,677 NOK 25.9K

$2,109 MX$36.7K

26.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 NOK 21.1K

$1,218 MX$21.2K

78.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.5K NOK 111.3K

$3,885 MX$67.6K

196.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,961 NOK 67.3K

$2,033 MX$35.4K

242.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 NOK 41.1K

$1,038 MX$18.1K

310.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

11.34

-55.20%

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

Last update for Oslo: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,700 in Oslo and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 310% 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: $120 in Oslo vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $505 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

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

Oslo and Mexico City differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($3,203 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 310% 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: $1,700 in Oslo 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 326% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $274 in Oslo 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 $3,203 in Oslo, a $2,000 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 120% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.