Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambato and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambato: $605 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
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Ambato Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$605

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ambato 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 Ambato and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $605 per month in Ambato vs $1,567 in Mexico City, rent included.

Ambato $605
Mexico City $1,567

A couple spends around $985 per month in Ambato vs $2,450 in Mexico City, rent included.

Ambato $985
Mexico City $2,450

A family of three spends $1,364 per month in Ambato vs $3,333 in Mexico City, rent included.

Ambato $1,364
Mexico City $3,333

Ambato is about 61% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ambato sits 55% below the global median, while Mexico City is 16% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 $3.46

$10.75 MX$199

-67.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.93 $29.93

$50.3 MX$929

-40.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.32 $5.32

$11.10 MX$205

-52.07%

Cappuccino

$2.76 $2.76

$3.68 MX$68.1

-25.00%

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

$0.82 $0.82

$1.65 MX$30.42

-50.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.30 MX$24.08

-42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.32 MX$61.3

-40.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$5.54 MX$102

-41.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.77 MX$32.68

-44.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 $0.98

$3.05 MX$56.4

-67.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.01 MX$37.20

-21.89%

Eggs

$1.73 $1.73

$2.77 MX$51.1

-37.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$11.91 MX$220

-54.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$9.33 MX$172

-67.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$15.02 MX$278

-73.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$3.08 MX$56.8

-58.77%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.95 MX$35.97

-54.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.03 MX$37.54

-49.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.21 MX$40.92

-53.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 $0.77

$2.02 MX$37.41

-61.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.82 MX$33.67

-45.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.52 MX$28.07

-51.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.28 MX$23.65

-19.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 $5.15

$5.27 MX$97.4

-2.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 $8.78

$16.12 MX$298

-45.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.95 MX$36.05

-25.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.25 MX$78.6

-33.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.31 MX$5.82

-6.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.21 $14.21

$19.85 MX$367

-28.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.00 MX$36.93

-30.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.53 MX$9.86

111.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.43 $9.43

$5.62 MX$104

67.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.52 MX$28.07

-43.42%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

10.94%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

11.78%

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

$39.20 $39.20

$62.5 MX$1,155

-37.27%

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

$13.58 $13.58

$28.77 MX$532

-52.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.39 $26.39

$34.45 MX$637

-23.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 $29.76

$57.1 MX$1,055

-47.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 $4.39

$6.67 MX$123

-34.18%

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

$224 $224

$431 MX$7,964

-47.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,408 $2,408

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-79.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.25 $48.25

$70.8 MX$1,308

-31.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.22 $35.22

$51.8 MX$958

-32.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 $71.2

$109 MX$2,011

-34.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 $55.5

$112 MX$2,076

-50.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 $178

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-83.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$124 $124

$665 MX$12.3K

-81.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 $380

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-83.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 $273

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-77.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,130 $1,130

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-68.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$884 $884

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-55.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$679 $679

$975 MX$18.0K

-30.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-20.35%

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

Last update for Ambato: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ambato

$147 24.3%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 120% $176

Accommodation & Living

Ambato

$124 20.5%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 435% $541

Eating Out

Ambato

$99 16.4%

Mexico City

$203 13% 105% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Ambato

$95 15.6%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 63.6% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambato

$79 13.1%

Mexico City

$126 8% 58.8% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Ambato

$39 6.4%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 82.8% $32

Getting Around

Ambato

$22 3.7%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 15.4% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $178 in Ambato 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 43% 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 $30.00 in Ambato versus $50.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $147 vs $323 – making Ambato the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Ambato

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

23:27 11:27 PM

22:27 10:27 PM

1 h behind Ambato

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,185

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ambato Mexico City 3,210 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ambato
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Mexico City costs about 159% more than Ambato, 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 $908 per month in Ambato 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 Ambato, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Ambato and $50.0 in Mexico City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $605 in Ambato and $1,567 in Mexico City. That's a gap of about 159%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ambato, where all-in costs run around $605, than in Mexico City at $1,567. In Ambato 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. Ambato costs $605 versus $1,567 in Mexico City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ambato. 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.