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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $853 in Stip versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,260 in Stip versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,667 in Stip versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Stip costs roughly 49% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Stip is 38% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.53 MKD 398

$12.14 MX$206

-37.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.64 MKD 1,249

$53.9 MX$914

-56.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.78 MKD 358

$11.09 MX$188

-38.86%

Cappuccino

$1.86 MKD 98.2

$4.10 MX$69.5

-54.63%

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

$1.55 MKD 82.0

$1.68 MX$28.53

-7.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MKD 61.4

$1.39 MX$23.55

-16.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 MKD 97.4

$3.33 MX$56.5

-44.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MKD 154

$5.88 MX$99.7

-50.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 MKD 67.2

$1.85 MX$31.41

-31.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 MKD 43.07

$3.17 MX$53.8

-74.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 MKD 61.5

$2.07 MX$35.13

-43.96%

Eggs

$2.59 MKD 137

$2.93 MX$49.67

-11.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.69 MKD 459

$12.59 MX$214

-30.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.52 MKD 397

$10.11 MX$172

-25.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.69 MKD 406

$16.09 MX$273

-52.21%

Apples (1kg)

$0.93 MKD 49.25

$3.39 MX$57.5

-72.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 75.3

$2.08 MX$35.26

-31.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 MKD 73.5

$2.12 MX$35.97

-34.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 MKD 90.8

$2.41 MX$40.95

-28.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 MKD 48.93

$2.13 MX$36.11

-56.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 MKD 46.77

$2.01 MX$34.02

-55.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 MKD 31.21

$1.55 MX$26.21

-61.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 MKD 22.08

$1.36 MX$23.15

-69.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 MKD 172

$5.77 MX$97.8

-43.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 MKD 402

$17.74 MX$301

-57.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MKD 57.4

$2.07 MX$35.11

-47.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 MKD 81.0

$4.61 MX$78.3

-66.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MKD 34.21

$0.37 MX$6.21

75.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.86 MKD 1,208

$21.18 MX$359

7.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 MKD 60.3

$2.05 MX$34.84

-44.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 MKD 35.94

$0.58 MX$9.79

17.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.79 MKD 306

$6.07 MX$103

-4.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MKD 80.5

$1.55 MX$26.34

-1.94%

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

$36.7K MKD 1.9M

$22.9K MX$388.1K

60.29%

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

$28.1K MKD 1.5M

$27.2K MX$462.0K

3.02%

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

$165 MKD 8,691

$67.4 MX$1,144

144.06%

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

$9.36 MKD 495

$30.62 MX$520

-69.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.13 MKD 905

$37.24 MX$632

-54.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.13 MKD 1,486

$61.5 MX$1,043

-54.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 MKD 351

$7.11 MX$121

-6.61%

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

$381 MKD 20.1K

$456 MX$7,739

-16.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,594 MKD 295.6K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-59.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.16 MKD 2,016

$74.2 MX$1,259

-48.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.71 MKD 1,675

$57.0 MX$967

-44.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MKD 5,689

$115 MX$1,958

-6.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 MKD 6,022

$122 MX$2,061

-6.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 MKD 11.0K

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-81.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$131 MKD 6,901

$709 MX$12.0K

-81.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$341 MKD 18.0K

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-86.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 MKD 10.8K

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-84.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,246 MKD 65.9K

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-68.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,000 MKD 52.8K

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-53.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$472 MKD 24.9K

$1,082 MX$18.4K

-56.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

11.3

-62.39%

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

Last update for Stip: September 5, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $209 in Stip and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 129% 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: $24.00 in Stip vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $345 per month, with Stip 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

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

Stip and Mexico City differ by about 97% in total monthly costs ($853 vs $1,677 including rent). Stip is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 129% 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: $209 in Stip versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Stip 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 $381 in Stip versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $853 in Stip versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Stip but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Stip 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, Stip 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 Stip gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.