Cost of Living Comparison Between Bel Air and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Bel Air and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,024 in Bel Air versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,704 in Bel Air versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,384 in Bel Air versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Bel Air costs roughly 29% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bel Air is 24% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.77 MUR 319

$12.98 MX$223

-47.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.15 MUR 2,032

$52.6 MX$903

-17.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 MUR 331

$9.43 MX$162

-25.34%

Cappuccino

$1.07 MUR 50.5

$3.57 MX$61.3

-70.03%

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

$1.02 MUR 48.09

$1.61 MX$27.55

-36.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MUR 26.70

$1.15 MX$19.81

-50.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 MUR 76.2

$3.15 MX$54.0

-48.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 MUR 155

$4.86 MX$83.4

-32.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MUR 79.0

$1.70 MX$29.17

-1.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MUR 33.40

$2.64 MX$45.23

-73.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 MUR 62.2

$1.90 MX$32.67

-30.53%

Eggs

$2.27 MUR 107

$2.54 MX$43.62

-10.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 MUR 569

$10.08 MX$173

19.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.16 MUR 290

$8.29 MX$142

-25.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.62 MUR 594

$11.57 MX$199

9.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 MUR 94.4

$3.03 MX$52.0

-33.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MUR 91.7

$1.71 MX$29.35

14.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 MUR 67.8

$2.05 MX$35.16

-29.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.72 MUR 128

$2.06 MX$35.36

32.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 MUR 46.16

$2.06 MX$35.43

-52.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 MUR 46.15

$2.17 MX$37.25

-54.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 MUR 40.16

$1.40 MX$24.08

-39.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MUR 35.80

$1.12 MX$19.26

-32.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 MUR 303

$4.29 MX$73.7

50.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.41 MUR 396

$15.41 MX$265

-45.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MUR 81.4

$1.67 MX$28.74

3.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 MUR 105

$3.69 MX$63.3

-39.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 MUR 46.89

$0.38 MX$6.55

163.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 MUR 213

$1.38 MX$23.70

228.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 MUR 128

$0.28 MX$4.74

867.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.43 MUR 915

$5.42 MX$92.9

258.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MUR 65.8

$1.28 MX$21.98

9.37%

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

$36.0K MUR 1.7M

$19.0K MX$325.8K

89.90%

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

$28.5K MUR 1.3M

$23.5K MX$402.7K

21.30%

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

$49.86 MUR 2,348

$41.02 MX$704

21.55%

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

$18.10 MUR 852

$26.92 MX$462

-32.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.01 MUR 1,602

$29.69 MX$510

14.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.76 MUR 1,825

$52.3 MX$898

-25.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 MUR 287

$6.18 MX$106

-1.29%

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

$156 MUR 7,364

$427 MX$7,331

-63.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,956 MUR 186.3K

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-63.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 MUR 4,045

$56.8 MX$975

51.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.0 MUR 3,815

$44.83 MX$769

80.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 MUR 6,105

$105 MX$1,794

24.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 MUR 4,425

$106 MX$1,819

-11.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 MUR 24.4K

$995 MX$17.1K

-47.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 MUR 16.4K

$621 MX$10.7K

-43.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 MUR 44.9K

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-55.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 MUR 34.1K

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-42.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.34

-41.18%

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

Last update for Bel Air: June 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $518 in Bel Air and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Bel Air vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $288 per month, with Bel Air 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

Bel Air vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bel Air wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bel Air the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,536 in Bel Air and $2,171 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $518 in Bel Air versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,024 per month in Bel Air versus $1,447 in Mexico City – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,024 in Bel Air versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bel Air but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Bel Air the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bel Air delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,024 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bel Air hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bel Air 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 Bel Air gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.