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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $875 in Cabarete versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,324 in Cabarete versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,773 in Cabarete versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Cabarete costs roughly 41% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cabarete is 34% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.54 DOP 380

$13.14 MX$227

-50.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 DOP 2,110

$53.5 MX$926

-32.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 DOP 352

$9.33 MX$161

-35.05%

Cappuccino

$2.19 DOP 127

$3.70 MX$64.0

-40.81%

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

$1.02 DOP 59.4

$1.60 MX$27.76

-36.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 DOP 49.02

$1.12 MX$19.34

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 DOP 152

$3.14 MX$54.3

-16.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 DOP 212

$4.85 MX$83.9

-24.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 DOP 57.3

$1.65 MX$28.61

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 DOP 78.5

$2.71 MX$46.96

-50.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 DOP 87.8

$1.91 MX$33.03

-20.94%

Eggs

$1.59 DOP 92.2

$2.59 MX$44.81

-38.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.22 DOP 420

$9.81 MX$170

-26.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 DOP 274

$8.43 MX$146

-44.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.78 DOP 336

$11.93 MX$206

-51.55%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 DOP 55.9

$2.95 MX$51.1

-67.46%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 DOP 49.79

$1.74 MX$30.10

-50.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 DOP 112

$2.04 MX$35.38

-5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 DOP 74.9

$2.06 MX$35.64

-37.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 DOP 65.2

$2.15 MX$37.20

-47.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 DOP 101

$2.26 MX$39.02

-22.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 DOP 61.4

$1.39 MX$23.97

-23.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 DOP 50.4

$1.12 MX$19.31

-22.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 DOP 202

$4.22 MX$73.0

-17.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 DOP 629

$17.51 MX$303

-38.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 DOP 131

$1.71 MX$29.58

31.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 DOP 159

$3.63 MX$62.8

-24.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 DOP 38.48

$0.35 MX$6.10

88.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 DOP 192

$1.38 MX$23.80

139.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 DOP 123

$0.28 MX$4.77

657.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 DOP 339

$5.28 MX$91.3

10.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 DOP 74.8

$1.36 MX$23.50

-5.15%

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

$26.7K DOP 1.6M

$19.1K MX$330.5K

39.74%

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

$32.0K DOP 1.9M

$23.6K MX$408.4K

35.60%

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

$50.1 DOP 2,910

$40.53 MX$701

23.56%

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

$25.72 DOP 1,494

$27.38 MX$474

-6.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.26 DOP 1,003

$30.38 MX$526

-43.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.26 DOP 2,514

$52.2 MX$903

-17.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.61 DOP 384

$6.19 MX$107

6.79%

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

$265 DOP 15.4K

$425 MX$7,355

-37.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,000 DOP 464.9K

$10.7K MX$185.7K

-25.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 DOP 3,421

$58.3 MX$1,009

0.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 DOP 2,952

$44.57 MX$771

13.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 DOP 5,681

$103 MX$1,791

-5.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 DOP 6,715

$109 MX$1,881

6.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 DOP 50.7K

$1,014 MX$17.5K

-13.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 DOP 14.9K

$623 MX$10.8K

-58.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$603 DOP 35.0K

$2,119 MX$36.7K

-71.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 DOP 22.0K

$1,223 MX$21.2K

-69.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$313 DOP 18.2K

$2,110 MX$36.5K

-85.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.9

11.34

13.76%

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

Last update for Cabarete: July 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $872 in Cabarete and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Cabarete vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $293 per month, with Cabarete 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

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

Cabarete wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cabarete the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,313 in Cabarete and $2,208 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: $872 in Cabarete versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $265 in Cabarete versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cabarete – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $875 in Cabarete versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cabarete but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cabarete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cabarete delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $875 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cabarete hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cabarete 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 Cabarete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.