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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,145 in Celaya versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,821 in Celaya versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,497 in Celaya versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Celaya costs roughly 21% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Celaya is 14% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 MX$204

$13.07 MX$229

-11.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.05 MX$738

$53.8 MX$943

-21.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 MX$136

$9.68 MX$170

-19.94%

Cappuccino

$2.91 MX$51.1

$3.74 MX$65.6

-22.19%

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

$1.18 MX$20.74

$1.62 MX$28.34

-27.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 MX$15.33

$1.16 MX$20.37

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 MX$45.97

$3.23 MX$56.6

-18.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$78.5

$4.74 MX$83.1

-5.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.94

$1.65 MX$28.89

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 MX$39.81

$2.75 MX$48.30

-17.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.54

$1.87 MX$32.87

-19.25%

Eggs

$1.93 MX$33.82

$2.50 MX$43.86

-22.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.17 MX$161

$10.20 MX$179

-10.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.74 MX$153

$8.25 MX$145

5.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.53 MX$185

$11.82 MX$207

-10.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$50.9

$3.01 MX$52.8

-3.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$27.14

$1.81 MX$31.77

-14.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.72

$2.00 MX$35.07

-9.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 MX$32.33

$2.00 MX$35.00

-8.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.80

$2.08 MX$36.56

3.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$39.01

$2.27 MX$39.85

-2.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 MX$22.29

$1.46 MX$25.55

-13.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.42

$1.08 MX$18.88

-12.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 MX$68.3

$4.35 MX$76.3

-10.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.34 MX$304

$16.99 MX$298

2.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$29.61

$1.73 MX$30.40

-2.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 MX$61.0

$3.58 MX$62.7

-3.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.69

$0.39 MX$6.79

41.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.10 MX$458

$18.69 MX$328

39.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 MX$13.26

$1.33 MX$23.25

-42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 MX$27.27

$0.28 MX$4.91

453.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.72 MX$153

$5.25 MX$92.1

66.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 MX$21.86

$1.34 MX$23.44

-6.72%

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

$25.4K MX$446.0K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

31.00%

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

$21.9K MX$384.1K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

-8.11%

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

$45.53 MX$799

$40.69 MX$714

11.89%

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

$22.14 MX$388

$26.87 MX$471

-17.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.90 MX$367

$30.51 MX$535

-31.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.47 MX$622

$52.8 MX$926

-32.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 MX$280

$26.65 MX$467

-40.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MX$84.4

$6.51 MX$114

-26.11%

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

$220 MX$3,863

$428 MX$7,508

-48.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,389 MX$59.4K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-67.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 MX$1,020

$57.3 MX$1,004

1.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.42 MX$744

$45.50 MX$798

-6.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 MX$1,706

$104 MX$1,825

-6.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.6 MX$1,273

$108 MX$1,891

-32.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 MX$8,904

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-49.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 MX$6,823

$623 MX$10.9K

-37.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 MX$16.4K

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-55.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 MX$13.5K

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-36.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$862 MX$15.1K

$1,038 MX$18.2K

-16.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

11.34

1.41%

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

Last update for Celaya: July 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Celaya and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 20% 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: $42.00 in Celaya vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $292 per month, with Celaya 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

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

Celaya and Mexico City differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,145 vs $1,456 including rent). Celaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% 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: $508 in Celaya versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Celaya – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,145 per month in Celaya versus $1,456 in Mexico City – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,145 in Celaya versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Celaya but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Celaya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Celaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.