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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,006 in Pogradec versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,536 in Pogradec versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,066 in Pogradec versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Pogradec costs roughly 32% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pogradec is 25% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 ALL 655

$12.98 MX$227

-38.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.74 ALL 3,000

$53.1 MX$929

-30.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 ALL 564

$9.72 MX$170

-28.91%

Cappuccino

$0.90 ALL 73.7

$3.75 MX$65.6

-76.00%

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

$1.62 ALL 133

$1.57 MX$27.46

3.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ALL 59.8

$1.13 MX$19.76

-35.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 ALL 116

$3.18 MX$55.7

-55.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 ALL 208

$4.66 MX$81.6

-45.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ALL 167

$1.62 MX$28.37

25.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 ALL 68.6

$2.71 MX$47.36

-69.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 ALL 158

$1.88 MX$32.89

3.19%

Eggs

$2.17 ALL 177

$2.51 MX$43.90

-13.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 ALL 611

$10.08 MX$176

-25.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.22 ALL 345

$8.29 MX$145

-49.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ALL 1,070

$11.94 MX$209

9.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 ALL 94.1

$2.86 MX$50.1

-59.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 ALL 200

$1.75 MX$30.62

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 ALL 113

$2.08 MX$36.48

-33.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 ALL 99.1

$1.97 MX$34.46

-38.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 ALL 77.9

$2.16 MX$37.79

-56.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ALL 75.0

$2.18 MX$38.16

-57.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ALL 80.3

$1.39 MX$24.34

-29.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ALL 59.0

$1.12 MX$19.69

-35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ALL 327

$4.20 MX$73.5

-4.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.21 ALL 834

$14.25 MX$249

-28.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ALL 97.6

$1.76 MX$30.85

-31.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ALL 146

$3.68 MX$64.5

-51.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 39.73

$0.39 MX$6.74

25.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.07 ALL 1,557

$18.66 MX$327

2.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ALL 288

$1.39 MX$24.26

153.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ALL 126

$0.30 MX$5.32

413.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.85 ALL 1,458

$5.42 MX$94.9

229.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 ALL 179

$1.35 MX$23.63

62.22%

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

$34.7K ALL 2.8M

$18.9K MX$330.5K

83.53%

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

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

$23.2K MX$405.2K

10.94%

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

$66.6 ALL 5,435

$40.82 MX$714

63.08%

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

$17.43 ALL 1,423

$27.50 MX$481

-36.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.65 ALL 1,277

$30.38 MX$532

-48.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 ALL 4,552

$53.4 MX$935

4.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.57 ALL 2,088

$26.30 MX$460

-2.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ALL 670

$6.27 MX$110

30.78%

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

$95.4 ALL 7,793

$436 MX$7,632

-78.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.50 ALL 3,878

$56.8 MX$993

-16.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.8 ALL 4,314

$44.79 MX$784

17.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 ALL 7,625

$103 MX$1,799

-9.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ALL 11.4K

$108 MX$1,888

29.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 ALL 36.1K

$1,000 MX$17.5K

-55.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 ALL 27.9K

$620 MX$10.9K

-44.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ALL 50.5K

$2,137 MX$37.4K

-71.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 ALL 35.2K

$1,235 MX$21.6K

-65.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,599 ALL 130.6K

$3,865 MX$67.6K

-58.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,462 ALL 119.4K

$2,332 MX$40.8K

-37.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$464 ALL 37.9K

$1,067 MX$18.7K

-56.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-64.73%

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

Last update for Pogradec: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $442 in Pogradec and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 130% 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 Pogradec vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $286 per month, with Pogradec 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

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

Pogradec and Mexico City differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,006 vs $1,484 including rent). Pogradec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 130% 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: $442 in Pogradec 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 Pogradec runs roughly 2% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $95.4 in Pogradec versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,006 in Pogradec versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pogradec but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Pogradec 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.

Expats usually find Pogradec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.