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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $974 per month in Acapulco vs $1,456 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,448 per month in Acapulco vs $2,361 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,921 per month in Acapulco vs $3,266 in Mexico City, rent included.

Acapulco is about 33% cheaper than Mexico City, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Acapulco sits 27% below the global median, while Mexico City is 9% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.66 MX$187

$13.07 MX$229

-18.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.14 MX$564

$53.8 MX$943

-40.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 MX$198

$9.68 MX$170

16.74%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$63.3

$3.74 MX$65.6

-3.48%

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

$1.83 MX$32.12

$1.62 MX$28.34

12.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 MX$28.61

$1.16 MX$20.37

40.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 MX$46.93

$3.23 MX$56.6

-17.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 MX$82.8

$4.74 MX$83.1

-0.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$28.20

$1.65 MX$28.89

-2.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 MX$55.8

$2.75 MX$48.30

15.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 MX$27.19

$1.87 MX$32.87

-17.11%

Eggs

$1.75 MX$30.64

$2.50 MX$43.86

-30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.37 MX$112

$10.20 MX$179

-37.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.16 MX$143

$8.25 MX$145

-1.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.45 MX$183

$11.82 MX$207

-11.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 MX$76.7

$3.01 MX$52.8

45.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.97

$1.81 MX$31.77

-5.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 MX$56.6

$2.00 MX$35.07

61.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 MX$54.2

$2.00 MX$35.00

54.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 MX$57.3

$2.08 MX$36.56

56.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 MX$49.12

$2.27 MX$39.85

23.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MX$21.12

$1.46 MX$25.55

-17.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$14.22

$1.08 MX$18.88

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 MX$137

$4.35 MX$76.3

79.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.74 MX$118

$16.99 MX$298

-60.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$1.73 MX$30.40

-37.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 MX$46.12

$3.58 MX$62.7

-26.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MX$12.84

$0.39 MX$6.79

87.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.21 MX$73.8

$1.33 MX$23.25

216.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 MX$27.31

$0.28 MX$4.91

457.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.48 MX$149

$5.25 MX$92.1

61.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.22

$1.34 MX$23.44

-1.49%

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

$21.5K MX$377.5K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

10.88%

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

$22.9K MX$401.1K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

-4.05%

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

$38.62 MX$677

$40.69 MX$714

-5.09%

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

$22.48 MX$394

$26.87 MX$471

-16.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.00 MX$368

$30.51 MX$535

-31.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.38 MX$322

$52.8 MX$926

-65.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.97 MX$228

$26.65 MX$467

-51.33%

Cinema Ticket

$3.74 MX$65.6

$6.51 MX$114

-42.55%

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

$156 MX$2,732

$428 MX$7,508

-63.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,663 MX$64.2K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-65.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 MX$1,106

$57.3 MX$1,004

10.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.08 MX$756

$45.50 MX$798

-5.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,893

$104 MX$1,825

3.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 MX$1,389

$108 MX$1,891

-26.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 MX$8,691

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-50.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 MX$4,146

$623 MX$10.9K

-62.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$921 MX$16.2K

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-56.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 MX$4,357

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-79.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$479 MX$8,393

$1,038 MX$18.2K

-53.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

11.34

1.41%

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

Last update for Acapulco: July 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $495 in Acapulco versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 117% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Acapulco versus $54.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $292 – making Acapulco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Mexico City costs about 50% more than Acapulco, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,461 per month in Acapulco and $2,185 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Acapulco, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $974 in Acapulco and $1,456 in Mexico City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $156 per month in Acapulco and $428 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Acapulco, where all-in costs run around $974, than in Mexico City at $1,456. In Acapulco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Acapulco costs $974 versus $1,456 in Mexico City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Acapulco. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.