Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busia, Uganda and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Busia: $69.4 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Busia

🇺🇬 Uganda

$69.4

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busia and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Busia and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $69 in Busia versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Busia $69
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $114 in Busia versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Busia $114
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $159 in Busia versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Busia $159
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Busia costs roughly 96% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Busia is 95% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$904

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.0

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

$1.67 MX$31.14

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.65

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.2

Milk (1 liter)

$0.30 UGX 1,332

$1.72 MX$32.23

-82.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 UGX 5,393

$3.04 MX$56.8

-59.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

Eggs

$1.43 UGX 6,251

$2.89 MX$54.0

-50.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.56 UGX 15.6K

$15.13 MX$283

-76.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 UGX 10.3K

$3.05 MX$57.0

-23.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.85

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 UGX 3,006

$2.31 MX$43.25

-70.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.03

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 UGX 6,178

$1.80 MX$33.63

-21.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.64

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.23 UGX 1,003

$1.27 MX$23.69

-81.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.11 UGX 4,875

$5.30 MX$99.1

-79.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.93 UGX 21.6K

$16.10 MX$301

-69.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 UGX 4,154

$1.98 MX$37.06

-52.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 UGX 5,156

$4.25 MX$79.5

-72.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.70

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$369

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.34

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.23

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

$21.8K MX$406.5K

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

$24.0K MX$448.2K

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

$63.0 MX$1,177

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

$27.39 MX$512

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$666

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,101

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$442

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

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

$432 MX$8,065

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$213.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,275

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$993

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,014

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,191

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Busia: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Busia

–

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Groceries & Markets

Busia

–

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Eating Out

Busia

–

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Busia

–

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busia

–

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Busia

–

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Getting Around

Busia

–

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Good to know

🇺🇬 Busia

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

17:25 5:25 PM

08:25 8:25 AM

9 h behind Busia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,900

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to UGX – Ugandan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling (Sh)

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4,386 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD). 1 EUR = 4,882 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to UGX in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Busia Mexico City 14,460 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Busia
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Busia wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Busia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $104 in Busia and $2,412 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 361% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $69 per month in Busia versus $1,608 in Mexico City – a 2218% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $69 in Busia versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $800 budget is realistic in Busia but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Busia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.