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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,027 in Rome versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,143 in Rome versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,260 in Rome versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Rome is roughly 38% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 51% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €14.84

$13.18 MX$228

30.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 €63.6

$53.9 MX$931

37.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.11

$9.42 MX$163

24.63%

Cappuccino

$1.83 €1.58

$3.55 MX$61.3

-48.45%

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

$2.51 €2.16

$1.62 MX$27.95

54.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.11 MX$19.25

14.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$3.12 MX$53.9

87.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.50

$4.63 MX$80.0

12.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.70 MX$29.40

-0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.72 MX$46.97

-21.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$1.91 MX$33.04

54.45%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.88

$2.54 MX$43.82

77.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 €15.00

$10.03 MX$173

73.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.33

$8.09 MX$140

48.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.38

$11.62 MX$201

73.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.97 MX$51.3

-17.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.81 MX$31.21

23.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.01 MX$34.79

-2.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.03 MX$35.16

27.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$2.12 MX$36.71

-16.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.27 MX$39.21

-18.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.40 MX$24.20

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$1.13 MX$19.53

-51.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.14

$4.27 MX$73.8

66.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 €3.99

$15.56 MX$269

-70.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.76 MX$30.36

10.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.35

$3.60 MX$62.1

-24.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.38 MX$6.62

371.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.00 €35.30

$19.18 MX$331

113.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.41

$1.38 MX$23.77

271.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.38

$0.28 MX$4.78

471.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.08 €30.20

$5.45 MX$94.1

543.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.30 MX$22.53

50.00%

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

$29.3K €25.2K

$18.7K MX$322.9K

56.90%

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

$30.2K €26.0K

$23.1K MX$399.7K

30.45%

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

$219 €189

$40.86 MX$706

436.98%

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

$11.01 €9.47

$26.81 MX$463

-58.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.31 €26.95

$29.96 MX$518

4.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 €55.2

$52.0 MX$899

23.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.81 €20.49

$26.84 MX$464

-11.29%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 €10.10

$6.30 MX$109

86.19%

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

$528 €455

$436 MX$7,536

21.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €8,974

$10.4K MX$180.0K

0.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 €63.1

$56.7 MX$979

29.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.76

$44.38 MX$767

-22.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 €74.9

$103 MX$1,779

-15.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$106 MX$1,823

12.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,140

$1,022 MX$17.7K

29.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 €762

$631 MX$10.9K

40.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 €2,291

$2,136 MX$36.9K

24.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 €1,408

$1,243 MX$21.5K

31.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,730 €7,516

$3,903 MX$67.4K

123.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €2,972

$2,064 MX$35.7K

67.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,058 €1,772

$1,115 MX$19.3K

84.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

11.34

-65.17%

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

Last update for Rome: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,325 in Rome and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 85% 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: $74.0 in Rome vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 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

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

Rome and Mexico City differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($2,027 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Rome pays 85% 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: $1,325 in Rome 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 114% less than in Rome. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $528 in Rome 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 $2,027 in Rome, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Rome. 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, Rome 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 38% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.