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: $3,146 in Ashgabat versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,862 in Ashgabat versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,579 in Ashgabat versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 117% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashgabat 134% above, Mexico City 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$35.27 TMT 118

$12.98 MX$223

171.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 TMT 291

$52.6 MX$903

64.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.14 TMT 47.53

$9.43 MX$162

49.95%

Cappuccino

$7.18 TMT 24.11

$3.57 MX$61.3

101.12%

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

$3.22 TMT 10.82

$1.61 MX$27.55

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 TMT 2.99

$1.15 MX$19.81

-22.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.26 TMT 17.68

$3.15 MX$54.0

66.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.30 TMT 48.06

$4.86 MX$83.4

194.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.81 TMT 16.17

$1.70 MX$29.17

182.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 TMT 8.11

$2.64 MX$45.23

-8.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.28 TMT 24.45

$1.90 MX$32.67

283.16%

Eggs

$6.01 TMT 20.19

$2.54 MX$43.62

136.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$39.33 TMT 132

$10.08 MX$173

290.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 TMT 62.2

$8.29 MX$142

123.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.86 TMT 63.4

$11.57 MX$199

63.01%

Apples (1kg)

$5.49 TMT 18.46

$3.03 MX$52.0

81.19%

Banana (1kg)

$9.09 TMT 30.54

$1.71 MX$29.35

431.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.79 TMT 26.18

$2.05 MX$35.16

280.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 TMT 12.19

$2.06 MX$35.36

76.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 TMT 7.83

$2.06 MX$35.43

13.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 TMT 6.13

$2.17 MX$37.25

-16.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 TMT 6.90

$1.40 MX$24.08

46.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 TMT 3.76

$1.12 MX$19.26

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.97 TMT 87.3

$4.29 MX$73.7

505.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$41.39 TMT 139

$15.41 MX$265

168.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.65 TMT 15.62

$1.67 MX$28.74

178.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 TMT 9.71

$3.69 MX$63.3

-21.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 TMT 0.45

$0.38 MX$6.55

-63.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 TMT 29.09

$19.06 MX$327

-54.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 TMT 9.49

$1.38 MX$23.70

104.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 TMT 2.73

$0.28 MX$4.74

189.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 TMT 29.14

$5.42 MX$92.9

59.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.41 TMT 1.38

$1.28 MX$21.98

-67.97%

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

$43.3K TMT 145.5K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

128.17%

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

$56.3K TMT 189.3K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

140.14%

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

$569 TMT 1,913

$41.02 MX$704

1288.27%

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

$58.1 TMT 195

$26.92 MX$462

115.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 TMT 340

$29.69 MX$510

240.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$198 TMT 667

$52.3 MX$898

279.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.60 TMT 150

$26.23 MX$450

70.03%

Cinema Ticket

$14.56 TMT 48.91

$6.18 MX$106

135.60%

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

$22.76 TMT 76.5

$427 MX$7,331

-94.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K TMT 86.2K

$10.7K MX$183.6K

139.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 TMT 223

$56.8 MX$975

16.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$121 TMT 407

$44.83 MX$769

170.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$305 TMT 1,025

$105 MX$1,794

191.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 TMT 626

$106 MX$1,819

75.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 TMT 3,839

$995 MX$17.1K

14.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 TMT 2,509

$621 MX$10.7K

20.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 TMT 6,021

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-15.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 TMT 5,317

$1,254 MX$21.5K

26.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,528 TMT 11.9K

$3,903 MX$67.0K

-9.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,850 TMT 9,575

$2,096 MX$36.0K

35.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$761 TMT 2,557

$1,107 MX$19.0K

-31.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

11.34

-16.23%

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

Last update for Ashgabat: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,143 in Ashgabat and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 46% 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 $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $668 vs $288 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 117% in total monthly costs ($3,146 vs $1,447 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 46% less. 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: $1,143 in Ashgabat versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $22.76 in Ashgabat versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 132% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,447 in Mexico City versus $3,146 in Ashgabat, a $2,000 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 117% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.