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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $744 in Cali versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,224 in Cali versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,704 in Cali versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Cali costs roughly 49% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cali is 44% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.65 COP 13.0K

$13.18 MX$228

-72.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.25 COP 104.5K

$53.9 MX$932

-45.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.36 COP 26.3K

$9.42 MX$163

-21.87%

Cappuccino

$1.61 COP 5,754

$3.55 MX$61.4

-54.65%

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

$0.94 COP 3,353

$1.62 MX$27.98

-41.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 COP 1,979

$1.11 MX$19.27

-50.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 COP 3,775

$3.12 MX$54.0

-66.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 COP 9,130

$4.63 MX$80.1

-44.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 COP 4,347

$1.70 MX$29.43

-28.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 COP 5,465

$2.72 MX$47.02

-43.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 COP 4,319

$1.91 MX$33.07

-36.65%

Eggs

$2.46 COP 8,779

$2.54 MX$43.86

-3.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.29 COP 15.3K

$10.03 MX$174

-57.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 COP 19.5K

$8.09 MX$140

-32.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 COP 27.1K

$11.62 MX$201

-34.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 COP 8,570

$2.97 MX$51.3

-19.19%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 COP 3,474

$1.81 MX$31.24

-46.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 COP 4,274

$2.01 MX$34.82

-40.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 COP 4,548

$2.03 MX$35.20

-37.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 COP 3,148

$2.12 MX$36.75

-58.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,949

$2.27 MX$39.25

-51.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 COP 2,679

$1.40 MX$24.22

-46.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 COP 2,323

$1.13 MX$19.55

-42.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.90 COP 10.3K

$4.27 MX$73.9

-32.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 COP 41.0K

$15.56 MX$269

-26.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 COP 3,932

$1.76 MX$30.39

-37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 COP 6,584

$3.60 MX$62.2

-48.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 COP 2,407

$0.38 MX$6.62

76.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.20 COP 72.1K

$19.18 MX$332

5.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 COP 5,485

$1.38 MX$23.79

11.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 COP 6,707

$0.28 MX$4.78

571.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.80 COP 35.0K

$5.45 MX$94.2

79.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 COP 3,304

$1.30 MX$22.55

-28.46%

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

$21.4K COP 76.4M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

14.45%

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

$30.3K COP 108.3M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

31.12%

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

$80.9 COP 289.0K

$40.86 MX$707

98.09%

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

$8.78 COP 31.4K

$26.81 MX$464

-67.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.99 COP 85.7K

$29.96 MX$518

-19.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.60 COP 70.0K

$52.0 MX$900

-62.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.79 COP 52.8K

$26.84 MX$464

-44.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 COP 17.4K

$6.30 MX$109

-22.70%

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

$226 COP 807.0K

$436 MX$7,544

-48.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,039 COP 21.6M

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-42.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 COP 227.5K

$56.7 MX$980

12.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.16 COP 157.7K

$44.38 MX$768

-0.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 COP 280.5K

$103 MX$1,780

-23.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 COP 319.6K

$106 MX$1,825

-15.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$234 COP 834.7K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-77.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 COP 665.2K

$631 MX$10.9K

-70.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 COP 2.2M

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-71.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$408 COP 1.5M

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-67.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,101 COP 3.9M

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-71.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$890 COP 3.2M

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-56.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 COP 1.8M

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-55.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

11.34

2.12%

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

Last update for Cali: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $234 in Cali and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 126% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29.00 in Cali vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $288 per month, with Cali 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

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

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Mexico City earns 126% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $234 in Cali versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Cali versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $744 in Cali versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.