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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,282 in Skien versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,202 in Skien versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,122 in Skien versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Skien is roughly 55% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Skien 70% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.96 NOK 269

$13.18 MX$228

119.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 935

$53.9 MX$932

86.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 NOK 123

$9.42 MX$163

40.76%

Cappuccino

$4.88 NOK 45.35

$3.55 MX$61.4

37.46%

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

$2.47 NOK 22.94

$1.62 MX$27.98

52.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 NOK 20.38

$1.11 MX$19.27

97.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.05 NOK 84.0

$3.12 MX$54.0

190.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 NOK 89.8

$4.63 MX$80.1

108.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 NOK 18.73

$1.70 MX$29.43

18.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 30.67

$2.72 MX$47.02

21.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 NOK 29.30

$1.91 MX$33.07

64.92%

Eggs

$4.20 NOK 39.01

$2.54 MX$43.86

65.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 NOK 106

$10.03 MX$174

13.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 NOK 132

$8.09 MX$140

75.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.44 NOK 236

$11.62 MX$201

118.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 NOK 34.89

$2.97 MX$51.3

26.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 NOK 21.55

$1.81 MX$31.24

28.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 30.63

$2.01 MX$34.82

64.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 NOK 37.36

$2.03 MX$35.20

98.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 NOK 21.26

$2.12 MX$36.75

8.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 NOK 20.07

$2.27 MX$39.25

-4.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 NOK 27.36

$1.40 MX$24.22

110.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 17.55

$1.13 MX$19.55

67.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.86 NOK 175

$4.27 MX$73.9

341.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.87 NOK 147

$15.56 MX$269

1.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.33 NOK 30.97

$1.76 MX$30.39

89.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 NOK 36.67

$3.60 MX$62.2

9.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 NOK 25.02

$0.38 MX$6.62

607.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.33 NOK 412

$19.18 MX$332

131.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$36.08 NOK 335

$1.38 MX$23.79

2514.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 NOK 13.57

$0.28 MX$4.78

421.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.7 NOK 926

$5.45 MX$94.2

1728.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 NOK 19.41

$1.30 MX$22.55

60.77%

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

$25.7K NOK 238.9K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

37.64%

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

$35.8K NOK 332.2K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

54.62%

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

$96.6 NOK 897

$40.86 MX$707

136.44%

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

$37.34 NOK 347

$26.81 MX$464

39.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.51 NOK 358

$29.96 MX$518

28.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.00 NOK 353

$52.0 MX$900

-26.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.76 NOK 323

$26.84 MX$464

29.51%

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 NOK 134

$6.30 MX$109

128.41%

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

$312 NOK 2,900

$436 MX$7,544

-28.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 93.9K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-2.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.85 NOK 380

$56.7 MX$980

-27.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.21 NOK 327

$44.38 MX$768

-20.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 NOK 862

$103 MX$1,780

-9.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NOK 1,421

$106 MX$1,825

44.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 NOK 8,931

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-5.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 NOK 9,291

$631 MX$10.9K

58.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 NOK 10.2K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-48.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 NOK 8,381

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-27.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,561 NOK 33.1K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-8.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,271 NOK 30.4K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

58.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,269 NOK 39.7K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

282.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

11.34

-66.49%

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

Last update for Skien: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $961 in Skien and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skien pays 283% 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: $101 in Skien vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $432 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

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

Skien and Mexico City differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($2,282 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Skien pays 283% 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: $961 in Skien 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 131% less than in Skien. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $312 in Skien 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 $2,282 in Skien, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Skien. 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, Skien 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 55% less than in Skien. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.