City comparison
Cost of living in Mexico City vs Bucharest
One person needs about €1,284 a month in Mexico City and €1,095 in Bucharest, rent included — Bucharest is 15% cheaper overall.
Salary you'd need to keep the same lifestyle
Enter your current net monthly pay. We scale it by the full cost basket — rent, groceries, transport, utilities, eating out and internet.
To live in Bucharest the way you live in Mexico City on €3,000, you need
€2,558/ month net
15% less than today (-€442)
- Mexico City today
- Basket €1,284 · left over €1,716 (57%)
- Bucharest at the matched salary
- Basket €1,095 · left over €1,463 (57%)
Local pay context: average tech net pay covers the basket 237% over in Bucharest (very strong) vs 148% in Mexico City. Purchasing power index · How we calculate this
🇲🇽 Mexico City
Great food, US time zones, and rents rising quickly in Roma and Condesa.
Monthly budget: €1,284
Sources: Eurostat, Harmonised price indices (2025) · 0 community reports
🇷🇴 Bucharest
Europe's fastest internet and lowest utility bills, with a booming IT sector.
Monthly budget: €1,095
Sources: Eurostat, Harmonised price indices (2025) · 0 community reports
Should you move to Mexico City or Bucharest?
On salary, Bucharest pays more for tech roles (€2,600 versus €1,900 a month), so the money left over after costs is €1,505 in Bucharest at the top end.
Rent drives most of the gap: €850 in Mexico City against €650 in Bucharest. Groceries, transport and utilities move far less between the two.
For remote workers, the nomad index scores Mexico City at 78 and Bucharest at 77 — see the full nomad index and our data methodology.