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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $971 per month in Benares vs $1,484 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,588 per month in Benares vs $2,381 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,206 per month in Benares vs $3,278 in Mexico City, rent included.

Benares is about 35% cheaper than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Benares sits 28% below the global median, while Mexico City is 11% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.66 MUR 312

$12.98 MX$227

-48.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.77 MUR 2,048

$53.1 MX$929

-17.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.43 MUR 301

$9.72 MX$170

-33.85%

Cappuccino

$2.53 MUR 119

$3.75 MX$65.6

-32.53%

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

$0.95 MUR 44.26

$1.57 MX$27.46

-39.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 MUR 27.77

$1.13 MX$19.76

-47.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 MUR 97.3

$3.18 MX$55.7

-34.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MUR 130

$4.66 MX$81.6

-40.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MUR 67.8

$1.62 MX$28.37

-10.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 MUR 32.34

$2.71 MX$47.36

-74.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 MUR 61.5

$1.88 MX$32.89

-29.79%

Eggs

$2.25 MUR 105

$2.51 MX$43.90

-10.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 MUR 470

$10.08 MX$176

-0.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.08 MUR 284

$8.29 MX$145

-26.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.29 MUR 481

$11.94 MX$209

-13.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 MUR 93.2

$2.86 MX$50.1

-30.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 MUR 89.3

$1.75 MX$30.62

9.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 MUR 70.1

$2.08 MX$36.48

-27.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 MUR 124

$1.97 MX$34.46

34.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 MUR 45.75

$2.16 MX$37.79

-54.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 MUR 43.67

$2.18 MX$38.16

-57.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 MUR 37.48

$1.39 MX$24.34

-42.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MUR 26.81

$1.12 MX$19.69

-49.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.12 MUR 286

$4.20 MX$73.5

45.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.43 MUR 394

$14.25 MX$249

-40.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MUR 81.3

$1.76 MX$30.85

-1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 MUR 99.4

$3.68 MX$64.5

-42.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 MUR 49.12

$0.39 MX$6.74

169.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 MUR 207

$1.39 MX$24.26

217.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 MUR 124

$0.30 MX$5.32

786.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.14 MUR 709

$5.42 MX$94.9

179.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 MUR 65.2

$1.35 MX$23.63

2.96%

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

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

$18.9K MX$330.5K

89.10%

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

$29.3K MUR 1.4M

$23.2K MX$405.2K

26.37%

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

$49.48 MUR 2,315

$40.82 MX$714

21.22%

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

$18.40 MUR 861

$27.50 MX$481

-33.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.71 MUR 1,531

$30.38 MX$532

7.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.61 MUR 1,807

$53.4 MX$935

-27.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$5.98 MUR 280

$6.27 MX$110

-4.63%

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

$154 MUR 7,220

$436 MX$7,632

-64.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,949 MUR 184.8K

$10.5K MX$183.2K

-62.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.70 MUR 2,325

$56.8 MX$993

-12.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.89 MUR 2,053

$44.79 MX$784

-2.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 MUR 3,846

$103 MX$1,799

-20.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 MUR 3,647

$108 MX$1,888

-27.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 MUR 24.4K

$1,000 MX$17.5K

-47.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 MUR 16.7K

$620 MX$10.9K

-42.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$936 MUR 43.8K

$2,137 MX$37.4K

-56.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 MUR 33.3K

$1,235 MX$21.6K

-42.41%

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 %)

6.25

11.34

-44.89%

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

Last update for Benares: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $521 in Benares versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Benares versus $53.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $212 vs $286 – making Benares the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $971 in Benares, $1,484 in Mexico City – roughly 53% apart. Mexico City costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,456 per month in Benares and $2,225 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benares, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Benares and $53.0 in Mexico City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Benares, where all-in costs run around $971, than in Mexico City at $1,484. In Benares it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Benares has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $971 in Benares to $1,484 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Benares. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.