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 $988 per month in Benares vs $1,447 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,582 per month in Benares vs $2,310 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,177 per month in Benares vs $3,174 in Mexico City, rent included.

Benares is about 32% cheaper than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Benares sits 27% below the global median, while Mexico City is 8% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.41 MUR 302

$12.98 MX$223

-50.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.06 MUR 2,075

$52.6 MX$903

-16.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 MUR 307

$9.43 MX$162

-30.97%

Cappuccino

$2.65 MUR 125

$3.57 MX$61.3

-25.77%

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

$1.01 MUR 47.71

$1.61 MX$27.55

-37.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 MUR 26.17

$1.15 MX$19.81

-51.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 MUR 101

$3.15 MX$54.0

-31.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 MUR 130

$4.86 MX$83.4

-43.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MUR 70.3

$1.70 MX$29.17

-12.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 MUR 31.30

$2.64 MX$45.23

-75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MUR 62.7

$1.90 MX$32.67

-30.00%

Eggs

$2.34 MUR 110

$2.54 MX$43.62

-7.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 MUR 457

$10.08 MX$173

-3.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.09 MUR 287

$8.29 MX$142

-26.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 MUR 501

$11.57 MX$199

-7.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 MUR 93.1

$3.03 MX$52.0

-34.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 MUR 93.1

$1.71 MX$29.35

15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 MUR 68.3

$2.05 MX$35.16

-29.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 MUR 123

$2.06 MX$35.36

26.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 MUR 47.74

$2.06 MX$35.43

-50.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 MUR 44.92

$2.17 MX$37.25

-56.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 MUR 40.43

$1.40 MX$24.08

-38.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MUR 24.69

$1.12 MX$19.26

-53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 MUR 279

$4.29 MX$73.7

38.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.62 MUR 453

$15.41 MX$265

-37.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MUR 82.2

$1.67 MX$28.74

4.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 MUR 99.1

$3.69 MX$63.3

-43.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 MUR 47.46

$0.38 MX$6.55

165.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 MUR 209

$1.38 MX$23.70

221.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 MUR 125

$0.28 MX$4.74

846.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.59 MUR 734

$5.42 MX$92.9

187.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MUR 68.3

$1.28 MX$21.98

13.28%

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

$36.1K MUR 1.7M

$19.0K MX$325.8K

90.00%

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

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

$23.5K MX$402.7K

22.97%

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

$48.72 MUR 2,294

$41.02 MX$704

18.77%

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

$18.00 MUR 848

$26.92 MX$462

-33.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.52 MUR 1,532

$29.69 MX$510

9.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.81 MUR 1,781

$52.3 MX$898

-27.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 MUR 281

$6.18 MX$106

-3.56%

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

$154 MUR 7,261

$427 MX$7,331

-63.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,916 MUR 184.4K

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-63.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.65 MUR 2,338

$56.8 MX$975

-12.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.37 MUR 2,089

$44.83 MX$769

-1.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 MUR 3,934

$105 MX$1,794

-20.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.3 MUR 3,688

$106 MX$1,819

-26.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MUR 24.1K

$995 MX$17.1K

-48.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 MUR 16.7K

$621 MX$10.7K

-42.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$935 MUR 44.0K

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-56.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 MUR 34.1K

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-42.25%

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 %)

6.25

11.34

-44.89%

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

Last update for Benares: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $511 in Benares versus $995 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: $215 vs $288 – 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: $988 in Benares, $1,447 in Mexico City – roughly 47% apart. Mexico City costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,481 per month in Benares and $2,171 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 34% 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 $988, than in Mexico City at $1,447. 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 $988 in Benares to $1,447 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.