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: $747 in Cali versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,229 in Cali versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,710 in Cali versus $3,266 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 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.65 COP 11.9K

$13.07 MX$229

-72.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.20 COP 94.9K

$53.8 MX$942

-45.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 COP 24.1K

$9.68 MX$170

-23.45%

Cappuccino

$1.58 COP 5,130

$3.74 MX$65.5

-57.75%

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

$0.95 COP 3,095

$1.62 MX$28.32

-41.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 COP 1,940

$1.16 MX$20.36

-48.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 COP 3,297

$3.23 MX$56.6

-68.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 COP 8,484

$4.74 MX$83.1

-44.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 COP 4,029

$1.65 MX$28.87

-24.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 COP 4,770

$2.75 MX$48.26

-46.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 COP 4,076

$1.87 MX$32.84

-33.16%

Eggs

$2.48 COP 8,065

$2.50 MX$43.82

-0.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 14.1K

$10.20 MX$179

-57.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.36 COP 17.4K

$8.25 MX$145

-35.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.49 COP 24.4K

$11.82 MX$207

-36.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 COP 8,108

$3.01 MX$52.7

-17.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 COP 2,986

$1.81 MX$31.75

-49.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,749

$2.00 MX$35.04

-42.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 COP 4,260

$2.00 MX$34.97

-34.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 COP 2,881

$2.08 MX$36.53

-57.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,593

$2.27 MX$39.82

-51.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 COP 2,427

$1.46 MX$25.53

-48.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 COP 2,211

$1.08 MX$18.86

-37.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 COP 9,454

$4.35 MX$76.2

-33.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.88 COP 41.9K

$16.99 MX$298

-24.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 COP 3,478

$1.73 MX$30.38

-38.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 COP 6,040

$3.58 MX$62.7

-48.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 COP 2,386

$0.39 MX$6.79

87.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.17 COP 65.6K

$18.69 MX$327

7.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 COP 5,043

$1.33 MX$23.23

16.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,171

$0.28 MX$4.90

578.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.45 COP 30.7K

$5.25 MX$92.1

80.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 COP 3,190

$1.34 MX$23.42

-26.87%

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

$21.9K COP 71.3M

$19.4K MX$340.2K

12.98%

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

$29.6K COP 96.2M

$23.8K MX$417.7K

24.19%

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

$83.3 COP 270.9K

$40.69 MX$713

104.77%

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

$8.94 COP 29.1K

$26.87 MX$471

-66.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.55 COP 79.8K

$30.51 MX$535

-19.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.79 COP 64.3K

$52.8 MX$925

-62.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.72 COP 47.9K

$26.65 MX$467

-44.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.88 COP 15.9K

$6.51 MX$114

-25.04%

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

$222 COP 720.7K

$428 MX$7,502

-48.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,871 COP 19.1M

$10.5K MX$184.0K

-44.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.0 COP 208.1K

$57.3 MX$1,003

11.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.51 COP 141.5K

$45.50 MX$797

-4.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 COP 248.1K

$104 MX$1,824

-26.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 COP 291.1K

$108 MX$1,890

-16.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 COP 783.0K

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-75.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 COP 611.5K

$623 MX$10.9K

-69.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 COP 2.0M

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-70.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 COP 1.3M

$1,218 MX$21.3K

-67.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,258 COP 4.1M

$3,885 MX$68.1K

-67.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$990 COP 3.2M

$2,033 MX$35.6K

-51.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$554 COP 1.8M

$1,038 MX$18.2K

-46.63%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $241 in Cali and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 87% 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 $184 vs $292 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 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Mexico City. 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: $241 in Cali versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Cali versus $428 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 $747 in Cali versus $1,456 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 95% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.