Cost of Living Comparison Between Beliลกฤ‡e and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Beliลกฤ‡e and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Beliลกฤ‡e versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,834 in Beliลกฤ‡e versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,433 in Beliลกฤ‡e versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Beliลกฤ‡e costs roughly 15% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Beliลกฤ‡e is 8% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Beliลกฤ‡e
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.31 โ‚ฌ7.16
$12.98 MX$223
-35.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.17 โ‚ฌ34.61
$52.6 MX$903
-23.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.84 โ‚ฌ5.90
$9.43 MX$162
-27.47%
Cappuccino
$2.05 โ‚ฌ1.77
$3.57 MX$61.3
-42.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 โ‚ฌ2.03
$1.61 MX$27.55
46.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 โ‚ฌ1.73
$1.15 MX$19.81
74.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.38 โ‚ฌ2.05
$3.15 MX$54.0
-24.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 โ‚ฌ2.03
$4.86 MX$83.4
-51.65%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Beliลกฤ‡e
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.92 โ‚ฌ0.79
$1.70 MX$29.17
-45.88%
White Bread (500g)
$0.66 โ‚ฌ0.57
$2.64 MX$45.23
-75.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.94 โ‚ฌ2.53
$1.90 MX$32.67
54.74%
Eggs
$3.17 โ‚ฌ2.73
$2.54 MX$43.62
24.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.79 โ‚ฌ9.30
$10.08 MX$173
7.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.43 โ‚ฌ6.40
$8.29 MX$142
-10.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.26 โ‚ฌ9.70
$11.57 MX$199
-2.68%
Apples (1kg)
$1.15 โ‚ฌ0.99
$3.03 MX$52.0
-62.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 โ‚ฌ1.23
$1.71 MX$29.35
-16.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.63 โ‚ฌ1.41
$2.05 MX$35.16
-20.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.46 โ‚ฌ2.12
$2.06 MX$35.36
19.42%
Potato (1kg)
$0.97 โ‚ฌ0.84
$2.06 MX$35.43
-52.91%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 โ‚ฌ1.02
$2.17 MX$37.25
-45.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 โ‚ฌ1.04
$1.40 MX$24.08
-14.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 โ‚ฌ0.84
$1.12 MX$19.26
-13.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.50 โ‚ฌ4.74
$4.29 MX$73.7
28.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.08 โ‚ฌ6.10
$15.41 MX$265
-54.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 โ‚ฌ1.02
$1.67 MX$28.74
-29.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 โ‚ฌ1.66
$3.69 MX$63.3
-47.97%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Beliลกฤ‡e
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.72 โ‚ฌ1.48
$0.38 MX$6.55
352.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.47 โ‚ฌ36.59
$19.06 MX$327
122.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.71 โ‚ฌ3.19
$1.38 MX$23.70
168.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.15 โ‚ฌ0.99
$0.28 MX$4.74
310.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.76 โ‚ฌ4.96
$5.42 MX$92.9
6.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.68 โ‚ฌ1.44
$1.28 MX$21.98
31.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.2K โ‚ฌ27.7K
$19.0K MX$325.8K
69.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.5K โ‚ฌ23.7K
$23.5K MX$402.7K
17.05%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Beliลกฤ‡e
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$123 โ‚ฌ106
$41.02 MX$704
200.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.63 โ‚ฌ15.19
$26.92 MX$462
-34.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.57 โ‚ฌ22.90
$29.69 MX$510
-10.51%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Beliลกฤ‡e
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$26.03 โ‚ฌ22.43
$52.3 MX$898
-50.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.48 โ‚ฌ12.48
$26.23 MX$450
-44.80%
Cinema Ticket
$5.22 โ‚ฌ4.50
$6.18 MX$106
-15.53%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Beliลกฤ‡e
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$349 โ‚ฌ301
$427 MX$7,331
-18.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,796 โ‚ฌ2,409
$10.7K MX$183.6K
-73.86%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Beliลกฤ‡e
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$122 โ‚ฌ105
$56.8 MX$975
115.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.61 โ‚ฌ36.71
$44.83 MX$769
-4.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$46.03 โ‚ฌ39.66
$105 MX$1,794
-55.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.4 โ‚ฌ50.4
$106 MX$1,819
-44.85%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Beliลกฤ‡e
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$190 โ‚ฌ164
$995 MX$17.1K
-80.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$469 โ‚ฌ404
$621 MX$10.7K
-24.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$343 โ‚ฌ295
$2,126 MX$36.5K
-83.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$775 โ‚ฌ668
$1,254 MX$21.5K
-38.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,251 โ‚ฌ3,663
$3,903 MX$67.0K
8.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,189 โ‚ฌ1,024
$2,096 MX$36.0K
-43.27%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Beliลกฤ‡e
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,818 โ‚ฌ1,566
$1,107 MX$19.0K
64.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.2
11.34
-71.78%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Beliลกฤ‡e: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $190 in Beliลกฤ‡e and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Beliลกฤ‡e pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Beliลกฤ‡e vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $288 per month, with Beliลกฤ‡e 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
Beliลกฤ‡e vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Beliลกฤ‡e and Mexico City?
Beliลกฤ‡e and Mexico City differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,235 vs $1,447 including rent). Beliลกฤ‡e is meaningfully more affordable โ€“ a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Beliลกฤ‡e or Mexico City?
Beliลกฤ‡e pays 64% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Beliลกฤ‡e and Mexico City?
Rent for a central apartment: $190 in Beliลกฤ‡e versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Beliลกฤ‡e and Mexico City?
Childcare runs $349 in Beliลกฤ‡e versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,235 in Beliลกฤ‡e versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Beliลกฤ‡e but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Beliลกฤ‡e the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Beliลกฤ‡e and Mexico City?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better โ€“ the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Beliลกฤ‡e or Mexico City safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Beliลกฤ‡e 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.
Where should expats move: Beliลกฤ‡e or Mexico City?
Expats usually find Beliลกฤ‡e gentler on the wallet โ€“ expenses run 17% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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