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: $2,357 in Skien versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,341 in Skien versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,326 in Skien versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Skien is roughly 43% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Skien 72% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.53 NOK 200

$12.11 MX$205

77.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 NOK 989

$52.2 MX$883

103.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.84 NOK 147

$10.90 MX$184

45.32%

Cappuccino

$5.47 NOK 50.8

$4.05 MX$68.5

35.06%

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

$4.23 NOK 39.25

$1.72 MX$29.00

145.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 NOK 29.70

$1.38 MX$23.29

131.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.01 NOK 112

$3.47 MX$58.6

246.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.63 NOK 117

$5.81 MX$98.2

117.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 NOK 19.24

$1.85 MX$31.33

11.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 NOK 36.69

$3.22 MX$54.5

22.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.67 NOK 43.37

$2.09 MX$35.25

123.44%

Eggs

$5.80 NOK 53.8

$2.91 MX$49.18

99.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.58 NOK 126

$12.49 MX$211

8.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.54 NOK 144

$10.11 MX$171

53.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.90 NOK 213

$15.89 MX$269

44.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 NOK 31.61

$3.31 MX$56.0

2.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 NOK 25.60

$2.13 MX$35.95

29.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 32.11

$2.19 MX$37.03

57.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.05 NOK 56.2

$2.45 MX$41.37

146.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 NOK 22.06

$2.19 MX$37.00

8.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 NOK 27.75

$1.90 MX$32.20

57.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 NOK 28.42

$1.62 MX$27.31

88.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 NOK 22.78

$1.35 MX$22.82

81.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.12 NOK 177

$5.43 MX$91.7

252.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.30 NOK 151

$17.59 MX$297

-7.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 32.67

$2.07 MX$34.96

70.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 NOK 41.20

$4.75 MX$80.2

-6.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.47 NOK 32.20

$0.34 MX$5.75

920.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.24 NOK 448

$21.58 MX$365

123.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.14 NOK 103

$2.04 MX$34.49

446.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NOK 17.75

$0.58 MX$9.77

229.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.6 NOK 674

$5.97 MX$101

1116.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 20.89

$1.62 MX$27.31

38.89%

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

$48.5K NOK 450.7K

$22.8K MX$385.6K

112.82%

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

$43.9K NOK 407.8K

$26.7K MX$450.7K

64.76%

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

$97.8 NOK 908

$65.2 MX$1,103

49.91%

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

$33.45 NOK 311

$29.87 MX$505

11.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 NOK 543

$36.55 MX$618

59.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 NOK 381

$61.0 MX$1,031

-32.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$15.30 NOK 142

$6.85 MX$116

123.36%

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

$244 NOK 2,266

$453 MX$7,664

-46.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K NOK 148.8K

$13.4K MX$226.0K

19.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 NOK 585

$75.0 MX$1,267

-16.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 NOK 565

$55.3 MX$935

10.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 NOK 842

$114 MX$1,920

-20.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 NOK 1,495

$123 MX$2,073

31.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 NOK 10.0K

$1,134 MX$19.2K

-4.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$987 NOK 9,168

$712 MX$12.0K

38.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 NOK 9,751

$2,571 MX$43.5K

-59.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$971 NOK 9,017

$1,311 MX$22.2K

-25.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,603 NOK 33.5K

$3,993 MX$67.5K

-9.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,179 NOK 29.5K

$2,095 MX$35.4K

51.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,293 NOK 39.9K

$1,047 MX$17.7K

310.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

11.3

-61.33%

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

Last update for Skien: September 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,080 in Skien and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skien pays 310% 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: $106 in Skien vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $481 vs $345 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 43% in total monthly costs ($2,357 vs $1,646 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 310% higher in Skien, 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: $1,080 in Skien versus $1,134 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 124% less than in Skien. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $244 in Skien versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $2,357 in Skien, a $3,000 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 43% less than in Skien. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.