Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Acapulco and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Acapulco: $859 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Acapulco
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Acapulco Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Acapulco

🇲🇽 Mexico

$859

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Acapulco and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Acapulco and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $859 per month in Acapulco vs $1,567 in Mexico City, rent included.

Acapulco $859
Mexico City $1,567

A couple spends around $1,435 per month in Acapulco vs $2,450 in Mexico City, rent included.

Acapulco $1,435
Mexico City $2,450

A family of three spends $2,012 per month in Acapulco vs $3,333 in Mexico City, rent included.

Acapulco $2,012
Mexico City $3,333

Acapulco is about 45% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Acapulco sits 36% below the global median, while Mexico City is 16% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.48 MX$175

$10.75 MX$199

-11.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.64 MX$696

$50.3 MX$929

-25.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.97 MX$221

$11.10 MX$205

7.84%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$69.5

$3.68 MX$68.1

2.17%

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

$1.63 MX$30.10

$1.65 MX$30.42

-1.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$30.65

$1.30 MX$24.08

27.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.00 MX$55.4

$3.32 MX$61.3

-9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 MX$88.4

$5.54 MX$102

-13.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$29.36

$1.77 MX$32.68

-10.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 MX$53.5

$3.05 MX$56.4

-5.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MX$31.11

$2.01 MX$37.20

-16.42%

Eggs

$1.79 MX$33.06

$2.77 MX$51.1

-35.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.64 MX$123

$11.91 MX$220

-44.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 MX$149

$9.33 MX$172

-13.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 MX$199

$15.02 MX$278

-28.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 MX$84.7

$3.08 MX$56.8

48.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MX$30.46

$1.95 MX$35.97

-15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.5

$2.03 MX$37.54

66.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 MX$57.9

$2.21 MX$40.92

41.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 MX$64.2

$2.02 MX$37.41

71.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 MX$54.7

$1.82 MX$33.67

62.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 MX$24.12

$1.52 MX$28.07

-13.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.46

$1.28 MX$23.65

-39.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.16 MX$151

$5.27 MX$97.4

54.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 MX$123

$16.12 MX$298

-58.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$20.74

$1.95 MX$36.05

-42.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 MX$49.94

$4.25 MX$78.6

-36.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 MX$16.27

$0.31 MX$5.82

183.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 MX$89.6

$2.00 MX$36.93

142.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.16

$1.52 MX$28.07

-3.29%

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

$21.1K MX$389.7K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

0.28%

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

$24.8K MX$458.4K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

-1.49%

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

$39.89 MX$737

$62.5 MX$1,155

-36.17%

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

$14.81 MX$274

$28.77 MX$532

-48.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.72 MX$401

$34.45 MX$637

-36.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.02 MX$351

$57.1 MX$1,055

-66.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.85 MX$256

$24.81 MX$458

-44.18%

Cinema Ticket

$3.87 MX$71.6

$6.67 MX$123

-41.98%

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

$162 MX$2,994

$431 MX$7,964

-62.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.4 MX$1,191

$70.8 MX$1,308

-8.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.58 MX$824

$51.8 MX$958

-13.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,985

$109 MX$2,011

-1.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.2 MX$1,538

$112 MX$2,076

-25.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 MX$9,593

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-50.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 MX$2,763

$665 MX$12.3K

-77.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$17.7K

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-59.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 MX$6,118

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-73.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$449 MX$8,293

$975 MX$18.0K

-53.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

11.3

2.65%

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

Last update for Acapulco: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Acapulco

$269 31.3%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 20.2% $54

Eating Out

Acapulco

$195 22.7%

Mexico City

$203 13% 4.3% $8.4

Accommodation & Living

Acapulco

$150 17.4%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 345% $516

Clothing & Footwear

Acapulco

$135 15.7%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 14.7% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Acapulco

$76 8.9%

Mexico City

$126 8% 64.5% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Acapulco

$27 3.1%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 163% $44

Getting Around

Acapulco

$8.4 * 1%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 208% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $519 in Acapulco versus $1,051 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 $38.00 in Acapulco versus $50.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $323 – making Acapulco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Acapulco

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

Same time as Acapulco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

658,609

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 82% more than Acapulco, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,288 per month in Acapulco and $2,351 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 $859 in Acapulco and $1,567 in Mexico City. That's a gap of about 82%.

Kindergarten costs $162 per month in Acapulco and $431 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 $859, than in Mexico City at $1,567. 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 $859 versus $1,567 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.