Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changshu and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Changshu: $712 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Changshu
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Changshu Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Changshu

🇨🇳 China

$712

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in Changshu versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Changshu $712
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,128 in Changshu versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Changshu $1,128
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,544 in Changshu versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Changshu $1,544
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Changshu costs roughly 55% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Changshu is 47% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.83 ¥18.91

$10.75 MX$199

-73.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.95 ¥147

$50.3 MX$929

-56.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 ¥32.85

$11.10 MX$205

-55.77%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ¥19.60

$3.68 MX$68.1

-20.38%

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

$0.46 ¥3.08

$1.65 MX$30.42

-72.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$1.30 MX$24.08

-79.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 ¥5.82

$3.32 MX$61.3

-73.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥13.66

$5.54 MX$102

-63.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.59

$1.77 MX$32.68

6.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.38

$3.05 MX$56.4

-49.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.97

$2.01 MX$37.20

-55.72%

Eggs

$1.58 ¥10.58

$2.77 MX$51.1

-42.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.6

$11.91 MX$220

7.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 ¥21.10

$9.33 MX$172

-66.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.02 ¥67.0

$15.02 MX$278

-33.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.49

$3.08 MX$56.8

-39.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$1.95 MX$35.97

-35.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.37

$2.03 MX$37.54

-23.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.70

$2.21 MX$40.92

-47.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.66

$2.02 MX$37.41

-65.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.33

$1.82 MX$33.67

-47.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.72

$1.52 MX$28.07

-63.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.39

$1.28 MX$23.65

-60.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 ¥21.52

$5.27 MX$97.4

-38.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 ¥70.0

$16.12 MX$298

-35.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.22

$1.95 MX$36.05

-60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.53

$4.25 MX$78.6

-63.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$0.31 MX$5.82

-12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.48 ¥110

$19.85 MX$367

-16.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ¥9.51

$2.00 MX$36.93

-29.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.17

$0.53 MX$9.86

-37.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ¥44.35

$5.62 MX$104

17.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.52

$1.52 MX$28.07

-26.32%

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

$19.6K ¥130.7K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

-7.03%

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

$17.2K ¥115.1K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

-31.63%

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

$46.01 ¥308

$62.5 MX$1,155

-26.37%

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

$9.96 ¥66.6

$28.77 MX$532

-65.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.63 ¥77.8

$34.45 MX$637

-66.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.09 ¥275

$57.1 MX$1,055

-28.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.00 ¥93.6

$24.81 MX$458

-43.57%

Cinema Ticket

$5.81 ¥38.83

$6.67 MX$123

-12.89%

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

$329 ¥2,198

$431 MX$7,964

-23.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ¥112.9K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

43.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.18 ¥289

$70.8 MX$1,308

-39.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.03 ¥201

$51.8 MX$958

-42.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 ¥483

$109 MX$2,011

-33.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.7 ¥479

$112 MX$2,076

-36.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 ¥1,870

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-73.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ¥1,283

$665 MX$12.3K

-71.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 ¥3,995

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-74.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ¥2,385

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-70.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ¥20.0K

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-15.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 ¥13.8K

$1,977 MX$36.5K

4.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

11.3

-65.58%

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

Last update for Changshu: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Changshu

$198 27.8%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 63.3% $125

Accommodation & Living

Changshu

$192 27%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 246% $473

Clothing & Footwear

Changshu

$98 13.7%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 58.4% $57

Eating Out

Changshu

$84 11.8%

Mexico City

$203 13% 142% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changshu

$68 9.5%

Mexico City

$126 8% 85.9% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Changshu

$53 7.4%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 33.7% $18

Getting Around

Changshu

$21 2.9%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 25.1% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Changshu and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in Changshu vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $323 per month, with Changshu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Changshu

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

12:27 12:27 PM

22:27 10:27 PM

14 h behind Changshu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,677,050

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Changshu Mexico City 12,920 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Changshu
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

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

Changshu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 120% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,068 in Changshu and $2,351 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $280 in Changshu 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 Changshu – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $50.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $712 per month in Changshu versus $1,567 in Mexico City – a 120% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $712 in Changshu versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changshu but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Changshu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changshu 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.

Safety-wise, Changshu and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Changshu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.