Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castro and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Castro: $858 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Castro

🇨🇱 Chile

$858

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Castro 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 Castro and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $858 per month in Castro vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

Castro $858
Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Castro vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

Castro $1,360
Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $1,862 per month in Castro vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

Castro $1,862
Mexico City $3,490

Castro is about 47% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Castro sits 37% below the global median, while Mexico City is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 CLP 7,833

$10.62 MX$198

-24.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.65 CLP 43.6K

$48.35 MX$901

-7.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 CLP 5,565

$10.35 MX$193

-44.93%

Cappuccino

$1.54 CLP 1,507

$3.69 MX$68.8

-58.27%

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

$1.19 CLP 1,164

$1.67 MX$31.07

-28.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 CLP 1,005

$1.27 MX$23.59

-18.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.18 CLP 5,066

$3.19 MX$59.5

62.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 CLP 6,964

$5.31 MX$98.9

34.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 CLP 1,040

$1.72 MX$32.15

-38.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 CLP 3,435

$3.04 MX$56.7

15.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 CLP 1,244

$1.94 MX$36.19

-34.54%

Eggs

$4.21 CLP 4,113

$2.89 MX$53.8

45.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.85 CLP 9,628

$10.97 MX$205

-10.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.01 CLP 3,922

$9.25 MX$172

-56.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.37 CLP 8,180

$15.13 MX$282

-44.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 CLP 1,345

$3.05 MX$56.8

-54.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CLP 2,104

$1.94 MX$36.19

10.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 CLP 1,452

$2.03 MX$37.75

-26.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 CLP 1,837

$2.31 MX$43.15

-18.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 CLP 1,140

$2.04 MX$37.94

-42.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 CLP 1,521

$1.48 MX$27.58

5.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CLP 1,441

$1.27 MX$23.63

15.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 CLP 3,479

$5.30 MX$98.9

-32.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.63 CLP 7,451

$16.10 MX$300

-52.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 CLP 1,002

$1.98 MX$36.97

-47.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 CLP 2,929

$4.25 MX$79.3

-29.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 CLP 698

$0.31 MX$5.69

129.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 CLP 1,262

$1.51 MX$28.16

-14.57%

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

$15.3K CLP 14.9M

$21.8K MX$405.5K

-29.89%

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

$17.9K CLP 17.5M

$24.0K MX$447.1K

-25.30%

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

$130 CLP 127.0K

$63.0 MX$1,174

106.38%

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

$27.39 MX$511

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.80 CLP 29.1K

$35.67 MX$665

-16.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

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

$432 MX$8,045

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 CLP 77.6K

$108 MX$2,009

-26.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$351 CLP 342.7K

$1,113 MX$20.8K

-68.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 CLP 272.7K

$710 MX$13.2K

-60.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 CLP 988.5K

$2,588 MX$48.2K

-60.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 CLP 556.5K

$1,406 MX$26.2K

-59.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$600 CLP 586.0K

$946 MX$17.6K

-36.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

-38.33%

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

Last update for Castro: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Castro

–

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Groceries & Markets

Castro

–

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Eating Out

Castro

–

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Castro

–

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castro

–

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Castro

–

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Getting Around

Castro

–

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $351 in Castro versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 58% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Castro versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $231 vs $320 – making Castro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Castro

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

15:44 3:44 PM

12:44 12:44 PM

3 h behind Castro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,417

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,088 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Castro Mexico City 7,360 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Castro
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

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

Mexico City costs about 87% more than Castro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,286 per month in Castro and $2,412 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Castro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $351 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $858 in Castro and $1,608 in Mexico City. That’s a gap of about 87%.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $858 in Castro and $1,608 in Mexico City. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $858 in Castro to $1,608 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Castro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.