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: $3,141 in Oslo versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,597 in Oslo versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,053 in Oslo versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Oslo is roughly 114% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 134% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.53 NOK 238

$13.18 MX$228

93.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,144

$53.9 MX$931

127.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.15 NOK 141

$9.42 MX$163

60.83%

Cappuccino

$4.86 NOK 45.41

$3.55 MX$61.3

36.90%

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

$4.08 NOK 38.14

$1.62 MX$27.95

151.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 29.79

$1.11 MX$19.25

187.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.02 NOK 112

$3.12 MX$53.9

285.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.22 NOK 105

$4.63 MX$80.0

142.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.35

$1.70 MX$29.40

40.59%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 NOK 38.17

$2.72 MX$46.97

50.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 NOK 34.19

$1.91 MX$33.04

91.62%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.00

$2.54 MX$43.82

98.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 NOK 126

$10.03 MX$173

34.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 150

$8.09 MX$140

98.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.76 NOK 287

$11.62 MX$201

164.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.63

$2.97 MX$51.3

17.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.53

$1.81 MX$31.21

45.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.32

$2.01 MX$34.79

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 48.20

$2.03 MX$35.16

154.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.69

$2.12 MX$36.71

14.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.33

$2.27 MX$39.21

19.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.61

$1.40 MX$24.20

103.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 NOK 21.84

$1.13 MX$19.53

107.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.19 NOK 160

$4.27 MX$73.8

302.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 NOK 177

$15.56 MX$269

21.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.28

$1.76 MX$30.36

90.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 40.87

$3.60 MX$62.1

21.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.20

$0.38 MX$6.62

1034.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 NOK 727

$19.18 MX$331

305.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 93.8

$1.38 MX$23.77

627.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 12.93

$0.28 MX$4.78

392.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.24 NOK 394

$5.45 MX$94.1

675.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.34

$1.30 MX$22.53

67.69%

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

$36.5K NOK 340.5K

$18.7K MX$322.9K

95.17%

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

$42.7K NOK 398.5K

$23.1K MX$399.7K

84.52%

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

$304 NOK 2,834

$40.86 MX$706

643.05%

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

$31.63 NOK 295

$26.81 MX$463

17.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 NOK 532

$29.96 MX$518

90.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NOK 539

$52.0 MX$899

11.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.64 NOK 267

$26.84 MX$464

6.71%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 168

$6.30 MX$109

185.87%

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

$274 NOK 2,556

$436 MX$7,536

-37.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 135.8K

$10.4K MX$180.0K

39.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 987

$56.7 MX$979

86.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 NOK 611

$44.38 MX$767

47.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,158

$103 MX$1,779

20.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,572

$106 MX$1,823

59.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 NOK 15.6K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

63.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 NOK 13.5K

$631 MX$10.9K

129.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,749 NOK 25.7K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

28.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 NOK 20.2K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

74.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K NOK 112.2K

$3,903 MX$67.4K

207.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,295 NOK 68.1K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

253.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,411 NOK 41.2K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

295.57%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Oslo and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 296% 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: $122 in Oslo vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $500 vs $288 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 114% in total monthly costs ($3,141 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Oslo pays 296% more on average, 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: $1,671 in Oslo versus $1,022 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 306% 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 $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $3,141 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 114% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.