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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,744 in Cento versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,733 in Cento versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,722 in Cento versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Cento is roughly 20% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cento 31% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.52 €17.97

$13.07 MX$228

57.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €69.7

$53.8 MX$936

48.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.71

$9.68 MX$169

14.46%

Cappuccino

$2.05 €1.80

$3.74 MX$65.1

-45.19%

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

$2.74 €2.40

$1.62 MX$28.13

69.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.26

$1.16 MX$20.23

23.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €4.93

$3.23 MX$56.2

74.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 €5.16

$4.74 MX$82.5

24.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.36

$1.65 MX$28.68

-5.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 €2.29

$2.75 MX$47.95

-5.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.35

$1.87 MX$32.63

43.32%

Eggs

$4.40 €3.86

$2.50 MX$43.54

76.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 €18.73

$10.20 MX$178

109.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 €11.58

$8.25 MX$144

60.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.77 €15.56

$11.82 MX$206

50.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$3.01 MX$52.4

-18.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.81 MX$31.54

22.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.71

$2.00 MX$34.81

-2.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$2.00 MX$34.74

42.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 €1.38

$2.08 MX$36.30

-24.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 €1.24

$2.27 MX$39.56

-37.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 €1.55

$1.46 MX$25.36

21.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.44

$1.08 MX$18.74

-52.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.25

$4.35 MX$75.7

64.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 €7.07

$16.99 MX$296

-52.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.46

$1.73 MX$30.18

-3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.61

$3.58 MX$62.3

-48.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.48

$0.39 MX$6.74

333.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.63 €38.21

$18.69 MX$325

133.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 €4.98

$1.33 MX$23.08

327.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 €1.29

$0.28 MX$4.87

425.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.48 €24.94

$5.25 MX$91.5

442.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.82

$1.34 MX$23.27

54.48%

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

$26.1K €22.9K

$19.4K MX$338.0K

34.63%

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

$34.6K €30.3K

$23.8K MX$415.0K

45.05%

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

$183 €161

$40.69 MX$709

350.53%

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

$11.30 €9.89

$26.87 MX$468

-57.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.33 €26.57

$30.51 MX$531

-0.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 €47.23

$52.8 MX$919

2.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.39 €20.49

$26.65 MX$464

-12.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 €9.71

$6.51 MX$113

70.35%

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

$678 €594

$428 MX$7,454

58.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,173 €7,158

$10.5K MX$182.8K

-22.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 €82.1

$57.3 MX$997

63.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.54 €39.01

$45.50 MX$792

-2.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 €85.0

$104 MX$1,812

-6.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 €152

$108 MX$1,878

60.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 €648

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-26.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 €516

$623 MX$10.8K

-5.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 €1,066

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-42.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$926 €811

$1,218 MX$21.2K

-23.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,537 €2,222

$3,885 MX$67.6K

-34.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,075 €1,817

$2,033 MX$35.4K

2.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,824 €1,597

$1,038 MX$18.1K

75.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

11.34

-63.23%

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

Last update for Cento: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Cento and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cento pays 76% 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: $80.0 in Cento vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $292 per month, with Mexico City 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

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

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Cento. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 76% higher in Cento, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $740 in Cento versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 133% less than in Cento. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $678 in Cento versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,744 in Cento, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Cento. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,456 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Cento. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.