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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,490 in Roman versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,998 in Roman versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.10 RON 52.6

$12.98 MX$226

-6.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.98 RON 122

$53.1 MX$923

-47.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.90 RON 34.36

$9.72 MX$169

-18.72%

Cappuccino

$3.51 RON 15.25

$3.75 MX$65.2

-6.40%

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

$1.18 RON 5.12

$1.57 MX$27.30

-24.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 RON 9.04

$1.13 MX$19.64

84.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.16 RON 13.76

$3.18 MX$55.3

-0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 RON 10.08

$4.66 MX$81.1

-50.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 6.67

$1.62 MX$28.21

-5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 RON 3.90

$2.71 MX$47.09

-66.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 RON 6.92

$1.88 MX$32.70

-15.43%

Eggs

$3.13 RON 13.60

$2.51 MX$43.65

24.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.68 RON 37.75

$10.08 MX$175

-13.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.16 RON 31.16

$8.29 MX$144

-13.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.70 RON 50.9

$11.94 MX$208

-2.01%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.18

$2.86 MX$49.77

-66.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 RON 6.71

$1.75 MX$30.45

-12.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 RON 6.62

$2.08 MX$36.27

-26.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 RON 9.80

$1.97 MX$34.27

14.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 RON 3.68

$2.16 MX$37.58

-61.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 RON 4.42

$2.18 MX$37.94

-53.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 RON 3.83

$1.39 MX$24.20

-36.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 RON 3.40

$1.12 MX$19.57

-30.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 RON 24.97

$4.20 MX$73.1

36.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 RON 29.82

$14.25 MX$248

-51.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 RON 4.75

$1.76 MX$30.68

-38.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 7.54

$3.68 MX$64.1

-52.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.11

$0.39 MX$6.71

84.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.13 RON 87.6

$18.66 MX$325

7.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 RON 3.06

$1.39 MX$24.12

-49.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.61

$0.30 MX$5.29

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.80 RON 29.57

$5.42 MX$94.3

25.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.26

$1.35 MX$23.50

23.70%

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

$28.3K RON 123.1K

$18.9K MX$328.6K

49.92%

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

$27.6K RON 120.0K

$23.2K MX$402.8K

19.18%

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

$93.4 RON 406

$40.82 MX$710

128.71%

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

$3.55 RON 15.43

$27.50 MX$479

-87.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.82 RON 25.30

$30.38 MX$529

-80.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.67 RON 181

$53.4 MX$930

-22.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.16 RON 83.4

$26.30 MX$458

-27.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.12 RON 48.36

$6.27 MX$109

77.35%

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

$327 RON 1,425

$436 MX$7,588

-24.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,466 RON 28.1K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-38.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.1 RON 296

$56.8 MX$988

19.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.31 RON 75.3

$44.79 MX$779

-61.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 RON 418

$103 MX$1,789

-6.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.81 RON 151

$108 MX$1,878

-67.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 RON 1,662

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-61.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 RON 1,265

$620 MX$10.8K

-53.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 RON 2,554

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-72.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 RON 1,869

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-65.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,672 RON 7,272

$3,865 MX$67.3K

-56.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,534 RON 6,674

$2,332 MX$40.6K

-34.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$911 RON 3,964

$1,067 MX$18.6K

-14.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

11.34

-32.10%

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

Last update for Roman: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $382 in Roman and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 17% 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: $28.00 in Roman vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $286 per month, with Roman 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

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

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

On paper, Mexico City earns 17% 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: $382 in Roman 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 Roman runs roughly 8% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $327 in Roman 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 Roman versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roman but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Roman 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 Roman 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.