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: $1,023 in Bel Air versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,709 in Bel Air versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,395 in Bel Air versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Bel Air costs roughly 31% 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 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.72 MUR 314

$12.98 MX$227

-48.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.62 MUR 2,041

$53.1 MX$929

-17.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 MUR 342

$9.72 MX$170

-24.79%

Cappuccino

$1.13 MUR 52.8

$3.75 MX$65.6

-69.87%

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

$1.04 MUR 48.47

$1.57 MX$27.46

-33.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 MUR 26.35

$1.13 MX$19.76

-50.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 MUR 78.4

$3.18 MX$55.7

-47.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 MUR 150

$4.66 MX$81.6

-31.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MUR 76.9

$1.62 MX$28.37

1.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MUR 33.33

$2.71 MX$47.36

-73.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 MUR 59.5

$1.88 MX$32.89

-32.45%

Eggs

$2.31 MUR 108

$2.51 MX$43.90

-7.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.68 MUR 546

$10.08 MX$176

15.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.12 MUR 286

$8.29 MX$145

-26.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 MUR 594

$11.94 MX$209

6.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 MUR 92.2

$2.86 MX$50.1

-31.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MUR 91.6

$1.75 MX$30.62

12.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 MUR 70.4

$2.08 MX$36.48

-27.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 MUR 123

$1.97 MX$34.46

32.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 MUR 48.11

$2.16 MX$37.79

-52.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 MUR 43.19

$2.18 MX$38.16

-57.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 MUR 36.58

$1.39 MX$24.34

-43.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MUR 35.72

$1.12 MX$19.69

-32.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 MUR 316

$4.20 MX$73.5

60.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.61 MUR 403

$14.25 MX$249

-39.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MUR 80.6

$1.76 MX$30.85

-2.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 MUR 100

$3.68 MX$64.5

-41.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 MUR 48.61

$0.39 MX$6.74

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 MUR 210

$1.39 MX$24.26

222.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 MUR 123

$0.30 MX$5.32

780.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.76 MUR 924

$5.42 MX$94.9

264.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MUR 68.5

$1.35 MX$23.63

8.15%

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

$35.4K MUR 1.7M

$18.9K MX$330.5K

87.24%

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

$28.6K MUR 1.3M

$23.2K MX$405.2K

23.33%

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

$50.4 MUR 2,356

$40.82 MX$714

23.35%

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

$18.45 MUR 863

$27.50 MX$481

-32.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.73 MUR 1,578

$30.38 MX$532

11.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.42 MUR 1,798

$53.4 MX$935

-28.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 MUR 284

$6.27 MX$110

-3.19%

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

$153 MUR 7,159

$436 MX$7,632

-64.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,956 MUR 185.1K

$10.5K MX$183.2K

-62.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 MUR 4,042

$56.8 MX$993

52.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.2 MUR 3,755

$44.79 MX$784

79.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 MUR 6,147

$103 MX$1,799

27.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 MUR 4,477

$108 MX$1,888

-11.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$512 MUR 24.0K

$1,000 MX$17.5K

-48.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 MUR 16.6K

$620 MX$10.9K

-42.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MUR 44.5K

$2,137 MX$37.4K

-55.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 MUR 33.7K

$1,235 MX$21.6K

-41.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $512 in Bel Air and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Bel Air vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $286 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 45% 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 $1,534 in Bel Air and $2,225 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: $512 in Bel Air versus $1,000 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 $1,023 per month in Bel Air versus $1,484 in Mexico City – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,023 in Bel Air versus $1,484 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 $1,023 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 45% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.