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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $610 in Calama versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,222 in Calama versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Calama versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Calama costs roughly 63% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Calama is 55% below, Mexico City is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.23 CLP 6,899

$11.92 MX$206

-39.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.65 CLP 31.2K

$51.6 MX$890

-36.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

Cappuccino

$2.06 CLP 1,967

$3.99 MX$68.9

-48.37%

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

$0.96 CLP 915

$1.66 MX$28.61

-42.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 CLP 883

$1.33 MX$22.87

-30.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 CLP 3,030

$3.47 MX$59.9

-8.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 CLP 4,835

$5.90 MX$102

-14.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 CLP 1,065

$1.88 MX$32.36

-40.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 CLP 833

$3.25 MX$56.1

-73.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 CLP 2,629

$2.16 MX$37.26

27.31%

Eggs

$5.11 CLP 4,875

$2.90 MX$49.94

76.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.57 CLP 9,136

$12.86 MX$222

-25.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 CLP 6,070

$10.05 MX$173

-36.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.95 CLP 7,584

$15.86 MX$273

-49.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 CLP 1,208

$3.29 MX$56.8

-61.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 CLP 978

$2.01 MX$34.60

-48.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 CLP 1,482

$2.20 MX$37.93

-29.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 CLP 1,119

$2.36 MX$40.63

-50.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 CLP 859

$2.05 MX$35.43

-56.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 CLP 898

$1.90 MX$32.79

-50.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.20 CLP 4,962

$5.46 MX$94.2

-4.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.25 CLP 4,052

$17.65 MX$304

-75.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 CLP 1,002

$2.06 MX$35.44

-49.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 CLP 1,225

$4.68 MX$80.8

-72.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 CLP 908

$0.34 MX$5.84

179.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 CLP 1,467

$0.56 MX$9.64

175.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 CLP 1,485

$1.61 MX$27.68

-3.11%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

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

$41.97 CLP 40.1K

$65.2 MX$1,124

-35.61%

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

$30.09 MX$519

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.72 CLP 13.1K

$37.18 MX$641

-63.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 CLP 49.1K

$59.8 MX$1,030

-13.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.56 CLP 19.6K

$26.55 MX$458

-22.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.80 CLP 4,583

$7.04 MX$121

-31.82%

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

$317 CLP 302.9K

$465 MX$8,012

-31.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.59 CLP 34.9K

$75.9 MX$1,308

-51.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.82 CLP 27.5K

$56.0 MX$965

-48.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.61 CLP 45.4K

$112 MX$1,929

-57.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.3 CLP 59.4K

$121 MX$2,078

-48.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 CLP 324.6K

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-69.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$107 CLP 101.6K

$721 MX$12.4K

-85.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$851 CLP 812.0K

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-66.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$637 CLP 607.8K

$1,293 MX$22.3K

-50.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,443 CLP 1.4M

$3,991 MX$68.8K

-63.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 CLP 1.2M

$2,090 MX$36.0K

-39.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,134 CLP 1.1M

$1,037 MX$17.9K

9.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-55.75%

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

Last update for Calama: September 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $340 in Calama and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calama pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Calama vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $181 vs $345 per month, with Calama 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

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

Calama wins on cost – living expenses run 172% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Calama, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $340 in Calama versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 91% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $610 per month in Calama versus $1,660 in Mexico City – a 172% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $610 in Calama versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calama but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Calama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $610 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calama hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Calama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 172% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.