Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cali and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,060 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,060

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cali and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cali and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,060 in Cali versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Cali $1,060
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,626 in Cali versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Cali $1,626
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Cali versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Cali $2,192
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Cali costs roughly 32% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cali is 21% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.32 COP 23.2K

$10.75 MX$199

-31.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.35 COP 118.4K

$50.3 MX$929

-25.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.32 COP 26.4K

$11.10 MX$205

-25.05%

Cappuccino

$1.52 COP 4,832

$3.68 MX$68.1

-58.70%

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

$1.23 COP 3,885

$1.65 MX$30.42

-25.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,728

$1.30 MX$24.08

-33.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 COP 9,872

$3.32 MX$61.3

-6.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 COP 12.1K

$5.54 MX$102

-31.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 COP 4,891

$1.77 MX$32.68

-12.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 COP 6,203

$3.05 MX$56.4

-35.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,701

$2.01 MX$37.20

-26.37%

Eggs

$2.91 COP 9,242

$2.77 MX$51.1

5.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.31 COP 20.0K

$11.91 MX$220

-47.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 COP 21.7K

$9.33 MX$172

-26.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$15.02 MX$278

-31.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 COP 10.9K

$3.08 MX$56.8

12.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,433

$1.95 MX$35.97

-28.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 COP 5,668

$2.03 MX$37.54

-11.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 COP 5,223

$2.21 MX$40.92

-25.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,539

$2.02 MX$37.41

-29.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,917

$1.82 MX$33.67

-14.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 COP 3,613

$1.52 MX$28.07

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 COP 2,983

$1.28 MX$23.65

-26.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 COP 12.0K

$5.27 MX$97.4

-28.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.94 COP 41.0K

$16.12 MX$298

-19.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 COP 4,539

$1.95 MX$36.05

-26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 COP 8,079

$4.25 MX$78.6

-40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 COP 3,387

$0.31 MX$5.82

245.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.29 COP 96.0K

$19.85 MX$367

52.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 COP 2,488

$2.00 MX$36.93

-61.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,245

$1.52 MX$28.07

-11.84%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

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

$35.4K COP 112.1M

$25.2K MX$465.3K

40.44%

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

$110 COP 347.5K

$62.5 MX$1,155

75.39%

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

$12.96 COP 41.1K

$28.77 MX$532

-54.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.06 COP 95.3K

$34.45 MX$637

-12.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.81 COP 91.3K

$57.1 MX$1,055

-49.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$8.40 COP 26.6K

$6.67 MX$123

25.94%

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

$431 MX$7,964

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 COP 248.5K

$70.8 MX$1,308

10.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 COP 168.8K

$51.8 MX$958

2.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 COP 398.3K

$109 MX$2,011

15.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 COP 351.4K

$112 MX$2,076

-1.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 COP 2.1M

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-37.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 COP 914.6K

$665 MX$12.3K

-56.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 COP 4.9M

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-33.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 COP 1.6M

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-59.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 COP 1.9M

$975 MX$18.0K

-39.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

11.3

2.48%

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

Last update for Cali: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cali

$288 27.2%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 131% $377

Groceries & Markets

Cali

$239 22.5%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 35.1% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Cali

$166 15.6%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 6.6% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cali

$153 14.4%

Mexico City

$126 8% 17.6% $27

Eating Out

Cali

$133 12.6%

Mexico City

$203 13% 52.3% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Cali

$46 4.3%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 54.4% $25

Getting Around

Cali

$35 * 3.3%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 27.1% $9.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $655 in Cali and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 66% 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: $37.00 in Cali vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $239 vs $323 per month, with Cali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cali

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

06:28 6:28 AM

05:28 5:28 AM

1 h behind Cali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,568,609

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cali Mexico City 3,030 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cali
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, eating out, and leisure. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 66% 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: $655 in Cali versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cali – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $50.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Cali runs roughly 53% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,060 in Cali versus $1,567 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 48% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.