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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,455 in Ashgabat versus $1,656 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,062 in Ashgabat versus $2,619 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,669 in Ashgabat versus $3,581 in Mexico City.

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 109% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashgabat 155% above, Mexico City 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.94 TMT 104

$11.92 MX$204

159.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 TMT 292

$52.4 MX$896

66.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 TMT 43.30

$10.58 MX$181

21.83%

Cappuccino

$6.89 TMT 23.14

$3.90 MX$66.7

76.67%

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

$1.53 TMT 5.13

$1.69 MX$28.86

-9.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 TMT 2.79

$1.32 MX$22.65

-37.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 TMT 18.90

$3.29 MX$56.3

71.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.41 TMT 45.05

$5.63 MX$96.4

138.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.48 TMT 15.05

$1.78 MX$30.48

151.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 TMT 7.05

$3.11 MX$53.3

-32.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.72 TMT 19.21

$2.06 MX$35.23

177.67%

Eggs

$5.92 TMT 19.88

$3.02 MX$51.7

96.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$37.65 TMT 127

$12.73 MX$218

195.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.60 TMT 65.9

$9.86 MX$169

98.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.29 TMT 78.3

$15.60 MX$267

49.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.09 TMT 17.12

$3.41 MX$58.4

49.27%

Banana (1kg)

$8.65 TMT 29.06

$2.01 MX$34.43

330.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.54 TMT 25.34

$2.09 MX$35.74

260.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 TMT 12.48

$2.38 MX$40.65

56.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 TMT 7.85

$2.11 MX$36.14

10.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 TMT 4.91

$1.86 MX$31.84

-21.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 TMT 9.04

$1.55 MX$26.51

73.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 TMT 3.78

$1.33 MX$22.78

-15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.04 TMT 87.5

$5.35 MX$91.5

386.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$41.33 TMT 139

$17.21 MX$295

140.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.05 TMT 16.98

$2.02 MX$34.55

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 TMT 9.35

$4.73 MX$80.9

-41.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 TMT 0.49

$0.37 MX$6.29

-59.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.86 TMT 33.12

$20.51 MX$351

-51.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 TMT 9.44

$1.99 MX$34.11

41.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 TMT 3.02

$0.55 MX$9.48

63.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 TMT 29.25

$5.64 MX$96.6

54.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.42 TMT 1.40

$1.53 MX$26.22

-72.55%

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

$43.1K TMT 144.9K

$22.7K MX$388.9K

89.75%

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

$56.5K TMT 190.0K

$26.2K MX$448.6K

115.72%

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

$580 TMT 1,950

$65.7 MX$1,124

783.99%

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

$56.6 TMT 190

$30.37 MX$520

86.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$104 TMT 351

$35.54 MX$608

193.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$194 TMT 653

$57.0 MX$975

240.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.16 TMT 148

$26.18 MX$448

68.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.54 TMT 28.69

$6.75 MX$116

26.52%

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

$22.63 TMT 76.1

$449 MX$7,681

-94.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K TMT 84.8K

$13.4K MX$228.5K

88.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 TMT 191

$73.5 MX$1,257

-22.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$115 TMT 387

$53.9 MX$922

113.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$368 TMT 1,235

$111 MX$1,900

231.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 TMT 636

$122 MX$2,088

55.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 TMT 3,848

$1,090 MX$18.7K

5.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$984 TMT 3,307

$701 MX$12.0K

40.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,261 TMT 7,598

$2,469 MX$42.3K

-8.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 TMT 6,397

$1,295 MX$22.2K

47.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,518 TMT 11.8K

$3,904 MX$66.8K

-9.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,915 TMT 9,794

$2,117 MX$36.2K

37.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 TMT 2,510

$1,081 MX$18.5K

-30.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

11.35

-16.30%

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

Last update for Ashgabat: August 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,145 in Ashgabat and $1,090 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $87.0 in Ashgabat vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $667 vs $339 per month, with Mexico City 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

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

Ashgabat and Mexico City differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($3,455 vs $1,656 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 45% 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: $1,145 in Ashgabat versus $1,090 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $22.63 in Ashgabat versus $449 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 97% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,656 in Mexico City versus $3,455 in Ashgabat, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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, Ashgabat 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.