Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Badulla and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Badulla: $541 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Badulla
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Badulla Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Badulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$541

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $541 in Badulla versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Badulla $541
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $870 in Badulla versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Badulla $870
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,199 in Badulla versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Badulla $1,199
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Badulla costs roughly 66% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Badulla is 60% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.70 LKR 1,230

$10.62 MX$198

-65.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.42 LKR 8,118

$48.35 MX$901

-49.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 LKR 2,492

$10.35 MX$193

-27.54%

Cappuccino

$2.46 LKR 818

$3.69 MX$68.8

-33.33%

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

$0.72 LKR 238

$1.67 MX$31.07

-56.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.9

$1.27 MX$23.59

-78.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 738

$3.19 MX$59.5

-30.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 LKR 1,025

$5.31 MX$98.9

-42.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 543

$1.72 MX$32.15

-5.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 177

$3.04 MX$56.7

-82.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.62 LKR 206

$1.94 MX$36.19

-68.04%

Eggs

$1.65 LKR 548

$2.89 MX$53.8

-42.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.58 LKR 4,515

$10.97 MX$205

23.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 LKR 1,176

$9.25 MX$172

-61.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 LKR 2,451

$15.13 MX$282

-51.29%

Apples (1kg)

$6.68 LKR 2,222

$3.05 MX$56.8

119.02%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 268

$1.94 MX$36.19

-58.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.50 LKR 1,497

$2.03 MX$37.75

121.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 LKR 425

$2.31 MX$43.15

-44.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 333

$2.04 MX$37.94

-50.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 274

$1.80 MX$33.55

-54.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 LKR 314

$1.48 MX$27.58

-36.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 142

$1.27 MX$23.63

-66.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.29 LKR 3,422

$5.30 MX$98.9

94.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 LKR 4,183

$16.10 MX$300

-21.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 LKR 634

$1.98 MX$36.97

-3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 976

$4.25 MX$79.3

-30.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 126

$1.84 MX$34.25

-79.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.53 MX$9.94

-30.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 310

$5.30 MX$98.7

-82.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 LKR 461

$1.51 MX$28.16

-7.95%

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

$44.4K LKR 14.8M

$21.8K MX$405.5K

104.23%

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

$40.8K LKR 13.6M

$24.0K MX$447.1K

70.07%

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

$59.2 LKR 19.7K

$63.0 MX$1,174

-5.94%

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

$4.29 LKR 1,425

$27.39 MX$511

-84.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.84 LKR 6,929

$35.67 MX$665

-41.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$4.52 LKR 1,503

$6.40 MX$119

-29.38%

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

$37.89 LKR 12.6K

$432 MX$8,045

-91.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,204 LKR 400.2K

$11.4K MX$212.9K

-89.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.20 LKR 6,052

$68.2 MX$1,272

-73.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.65 LKR 5,536

$53.1 MX$990

-68.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.4 LKR 25.7K

$108 MX$2,009

-28.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.51 LKR 13.8K

$117 MX$2,186

-64.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$74.7 LKR 24.8K

$1,113 MX$20.8K

-93.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$45.64 LKR 15.2K

$710 MX$13.2K

-93.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$90.2 LKR 30.0K

$1,406 MX$26.2K

-93.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,517 LKR 1.5M

$3,631 MX$67.7K

24.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$759 LKR 252.4K

$2,135 MX$39.8K

-64.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$227 LKR 75.5K

$946 MX$17.6K

-75.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

11.35

11.81%

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

Last update for Badulla: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Badulla

$228 42.1%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 40.1% $91

Eating Out

Badulla

$103 19%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 93.2% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Badulla

$84 15.6%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 49.4% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Badulla

$69 12.8%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 125% $87

Accommodation & Living

Badulla

$46 8.4%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 1457% $665

Sport & Entertainment

Badulla

$9 * 1.7%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 694% $63

Getting Around

Badulla

$2.2 * 0.4%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 1037% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $75 in Badulla and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 4.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $24 in Badulla vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $320 per month, with Badulla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Badulla

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

02:38 2:38 AM

15:08 3:08 PM

11 h 30 min behind Badulla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Badulla Mexico City 17,080 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Badulla
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

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

Badulla is about 66% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 76% lower in Badulla. 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: $75 in Badulla versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $38 in Badulla versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Badulla – a meal for two runs $24 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $541 in Badulla versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Badulla but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Badulla 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.

It comes down to priorities – Badulla wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.