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: $947 in Roman versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,553 in Roman versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,158 in Roman versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Roman costs roughly 43% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Roman is 31% below, Mexico City is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.12 RON 55.5

$11.92 MX$205

1.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.46 RON 162

$51.6 MX$889

-31.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 RON 36.30

$11.41 MX$197

-30.50%

Cappuccino

$2.85 RON 13.05

$3.99 MX$68.8

-28.57%

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

$1.48 RON 6.78

$1.66 MX$28.57

-10.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 RON 5.19

$1.33 MX$22.84

-15.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 RON 15.10

$3.47 MX$59.8

-4.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 RON 10.92

$5.90 MX$102

-59.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 RON 7.26

$1.88 MX$32.31

-15.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 RON 4.21

$3.25 MX$56.0

-71.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 RON 6.87

$2.16 MX$37.21

-30.56%

Eggs

$2.93 RON 13.42

$2.90 MX$49.87

1.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 RON 42.44

$12.86 MX$221

-27.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 RON 30.97

$10.05 MX$173

-32.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.76 RON 44.71

$15.86 MX$273

-38.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.09 RON 5.00

$3.29 MX$56.7

-66.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 RON 7.26

$2.01 MX$34.55

-20.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 RON 6.83

$2.20 MX$37.88

-32.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 RON 10.34

$2.36 MX$40.57

-4.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.56

$2.05 MX$35.38

-61.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 RON 3.95

$1.90 MX$32.75

-54.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 RON 4.17

$1.61 MX$27.64

-43.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 RON 3.86

$1.40 MX$24.05

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.65 RON 25.90

$5.46 MX$94.1

3.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.74 RON 30.90

$17.65 MX$304

-61.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.46

$2.06 MX$35.39

-42.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 RON 7.90

$4.68 MX$80.7

-63.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 RON 3.69

$0.34 MX$5.83

135.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.11 RON 106

$20.81 MX$358

11.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 RON 2.88

$2.10 MX$36.11

-70.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 RON 3.17

$0.56 MX$9.63

23.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.94 RON 31.79

$5.81 MX$100

19.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 RON 8.45

$1.61 MX$27.65

14.91%

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

$30.2K RON 138.2K

$22.8K MX$393.3K

32.12%

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

$27.5K RON 126.0K

$26.8K MX$460.6K

2.83%

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

$186 RON 851

$65.2 MX$1,122

184.89%

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

$7.27 RON 33.30

$30.09 MX$518

-75.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.83 RON 40.44

$37.18 MX$640

-76.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.94 RON 183

$59.8 MX$1,029

-33.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 RON 98.4

$26.55 MX$457

-19.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.77 RON 44.77

$7.04 MX$121

38.78%

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

$309 RON 1,416

$465 MX$8,001

-33.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,275 RON 33.3K

$13.3K MX$228.6K

-45.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 RON 254

$75.9 MX$1,307

-26.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.21 RON 125

$56.0 MX$963

-51.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 RON 364

$112 MX$1,926

-29.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.3 RON 281

$121 MX$2,075

-49.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$225 RON 1,032

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-79.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 RON 772

$721 MX$12.4K

-76.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 RON 2,941

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-74.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 RON 2,116

$1,293 MX$22.3K

-64.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,940 RON 8,889

$3,991 MX$68.7K

-51.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,381 RON 6,327

$2,090 MX$36.0K

-33.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$866 RON 3,967

$1,037 MX$17.9K

-16.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

11.3

-36.28%

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

Last update for Roman: September 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $225 in Roman and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 20% 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: $35.00 in Roman vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $345 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 75% in total monthly costs ($947 vs $1,660 including rent). Roman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Mexico City. 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: $225 in Roman versus $1,103 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 11% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Roman versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $947 in Roman versus $1,660 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 75% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.