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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $557 in Barquisimeto versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $939 in Barquisimeto versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,322 in Barquisimeto versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Barquisimeto costs roughly 62% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barquisimeto is 58% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.40 VES 4,124

$13.18 MX$228

-43.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.54 VES 17.0K

$53.9 MX$932

-43.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 VES 5,655

$9.42 MX$163

7.75%

Cappuccino

$1.01 VES 565

$3.55 MX$61.4

-71.55%

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

$1.18 VES 658

$1.62 MX$27.98

-27.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 VES 397

$1.11 MX$19.27

-36.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 VES 821

$3.12 MX$54.0

-52.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 VES 856

$4.63 MX$80.1

-66.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 VES 850

$1.70 MX$29.43

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 VES 1,383

$2.72 MX$47.02

-8.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 VES 550

$1.91 MX$33.07

-48.17%

Eggs

$1.62 VES 902

$2.54 MX$43.86

-36.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.10 VES 2,284

$10.03 MX$174

-59.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.05 VES 2,817

$8.09 MX$140

-37.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.05 VES 3,926

$11.62 MX$201

-39.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 VES 2,734

$2.97 MX$51.3

65.32%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 VES 547

$1.81 MX$31.24

-45.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 VES 548

$2.01 MX$34.82

-51.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 VES 544

$2.03 MX$35.20

-51.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 VES 550

$2.12 MX$36.75

-53.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 VES 819

$2.27 MX$39.25

-35.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 VES 288

$1.40 MX$24.22

-62.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 VES 566

$1.13 MX$19.55

-9.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 VES 1,713

$4.27 MX$73.9

-28.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.37 VES 7,453

$15.56 MX$269

-14.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 VES 434

$1.76 MX$30.39

-55.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 VES 567

$3.60 MX$62.2

-71.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 VES 245

$0.38 MX$6.62

15.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 VES 2,847

$1.38 MX$23.79

270.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 VES 286

$1.30 MX$22.55

-60.77%

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

$24.7K VES 13.8M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

32.43%

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

$36.4K VES 20.3M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

57.38%

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

$20.08 VES 11.2K

$40.86 MX$707

-50.86%

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

$10.08 VES 5,618

$26.81 MX$464

-62.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.41 VES 22.5K

$29.96 MX$518

34.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.57 VES 12.6K

$52.0 MX$900

-56.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 VES 2,501

$6.30 MX$109

-28.73%

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

$50.1 VES 27.9K

$436 MX$7,544

-88.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.93 VES 15.6K

$56.7 MX$980

-50.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.91 VES 13.9K

$44.38 MX$768

-43.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 VES 28.0K

$103 MX$1,780

-51.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.45 VES 27.6K

$106 MX$1,825

-53.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 VES 110.9K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-80.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.7 VES 28.2K

$631 MX$10.9K

-91.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$246 VES 136.9K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-88.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 VES 82.9K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-88.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$469 VES 261.3K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-87.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$248 VES 138.4K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-87.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$190 VES 105.9K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-82.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

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

Last update for Barquisimeto: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $199 in Barquisimeto and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 487% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $31.00 in Barquisimeto vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $288 per month, with Barquisimeto 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

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

Barquisimeto and Mexico City differ by about 163% in total monthly costs ($557 vs $1,467 including rent). Barquisimeto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 487% 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: $199 in Barquisimeto versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $557 per month in Barquisimeto versus $1,467 in Mexico City – a 163% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $557 in Barquisimeto versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Barquisimeto but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Barquisimeto 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.

Expats usually find Barquisimeto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.