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: $1,077 in Calama versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,598 in Calama versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,119 in Calama versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Calama costs roughly 27% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Calama is 20% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.95 CLP 7,068

$12.98 MX$227

-38.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.74 CLP 30.0K

$53.1 MX$929

-36.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 CLP 6,890

$9.72 MX$170

-20.27%

Cappuccino

$2.20 CLP 1,959

$3.75 MX$65.6

-41.33%

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

$0.92 CLP 822

$1.57 MX$27.46

-41.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 CLP 847

$1.13 MX$19.76

-15.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 CLP 2,948

$3.18 MX$55.7

4.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 CLP 3,612

$4.66 MX$81.6

-12.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 CLP 1,061

$1.62 MX$28.37

-26.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 CLP 1,379

$2.71 MX$47.36

-42.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 CLP 1,740

$1.88 MX$32.89

4.26%

Eggs

$3.47 CLP 3,084

$2.51 MX$43.90

38.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 CLP 9,147

$10.08 MX$176

2.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 CLP 5,822

$8.29 MX$145

-20.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.04 CLP 9,815

$11.94 MX$209

-7.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 CLP 1,675

$2.86 MX$50.1

-34.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 CLP 1,334

$1.75 MX$30.62

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,350

$2.08 MX$36.48

-26.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 CLP 1,334

$1.97 MX$34.46

-23.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 CLP 1,142

$2.16 MX$37.79

-40.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 CLP 1,202

$2.18 MX$38.16

-38.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 CLP 1,073

$1.39 MX$24.34

-12.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CLP 1,090

$1.12 MX$19.69

9.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.53 CLP 4,917

$4.20 MX$73.5

31.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.51 CLP 4,006

$14.25 MX$249

-68.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CLP 1,414

$1.76 MX$30.85

-9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 CLP 1,960

$3.68 MX$64.5

-40.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 CLP 515

$0.39 MX$6.74

48.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 CLP 447

$1.39 MX$24.26

-64.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 CLP 1,363

$0.30 MX$5.32

410.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 CLP 1,356

$1.35 MX$23.63

13.33%

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

$19.9K CLP 17.7M

$18.9K MX$330.5K

5.50%

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

$21.1K CLP 18.8M

$23.2K MX$405.2K

-8.85%

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

$134 CLP 119.2K

$40.82 MX$714

228.37%

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

$13.69 CLP 12.2K

$27.50 MX$481

-50.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 CLP 19.7K

$30.38 MX$532

-26.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.16 CLP 33.9K

$53.4 MX$935

-28.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.33 CLP 19.0K

$26.30 MX$460

-18.90%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 CLP 5,055

$6.27 MX$110

-9.41%

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

$432 CLP 384.4K

$436 MX$7,632

-0.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 CLP 44.5K

$56.8 MX$993

-11.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.74 CLP 26.4K

$44.79 MX$784

-33.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.5 CLP 54.7K

$103 MX$1,799

-40.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 CLP 73.3K

$108 MX$1,888

-23.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 CLP 309.4K

$1,000 MX$17.5K

-65.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 CLP 328.0K

$620 MX$10.9K

-40.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 CLP 757.4K

$2,137 MX$37.4K

-60.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$590 CLP 524.8K

$1,235 MX$21.6K

-52.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,543 CLP 1.4M

$3,865 MX$67.6K

-60.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,368 CLP 1.2M

$2,332 MX$40.8K

-41.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 CLP 1.1M

$1,067 MX$18.7K

13.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

11.34

-54.32%

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

Last update for Calama: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $348 in Calama and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calama pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Calama vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $286 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 38% 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.

Calama pays 14% more on average, 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: $348 in Calama versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,077 per month in Calama versus $1,484 in Mexico City – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,077 in Calama versus $1,484 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 $1,077 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 38% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.