Cost of Living Comparison Between Chester, CA and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Chester, CA and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,765 in Chester, CA versus $1,466 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,936 in Chester, CA versus $2,325 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,107 in Chester, CA versus $3,184 in Mexico City.

Living in Chester, CA is roughly 89% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chester, CA 106% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.19 $15.19

$13.30 MX$231

14.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 $54.5

$53.8 MX$932

1.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 $10.69

$9.42 MX$163

13.48%

Cappuccino

$5.46 $5.46

$3.59 MX$62.3

52.09%

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

$2.06 $2.06

$1.62 MX$28.13

27.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.12 MX$19.49

35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.25 MX$56.3

56.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.65 MX$80.6

41.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.64 MX$28.37

-25.61%

White Bread (500g)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.65 MX$46.00

62.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$1.96 MX$33.99

178.06%

Eggs

$4.64 $4.64

$2.54 MX$44.08

82.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.38 $15.38

$9.97 MX$173

54.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.23 $15.23

$8.39 MX$145

81.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 $18.65

$11.83 MX$205

57.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.86 MX$49.62

79.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.73 MX$30.05

15.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$1.99 MX$34.50

103.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.78 $6.78

$2.05 MX$35.51

230.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.06 MX$35.64

75.24%

Onion (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.28 MX$39.54

114.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.45 MX$25.05

93.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.09 MX$18.83

117.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.20 $9.20

$4.27 MX$73.9

115.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.52 $15.52

$14.67 MX$254

5.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.76 MX$30.58

21.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.57 MX$61.8

-17.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.38 MX$6.67

442.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.39 MX$24.09

182.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$0.30 MX$5.26

513.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.07 $28.07

$5.41 MX$93.8

418.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.34 MX$23.22

-23.13%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$18.9K MX$326.7K

57.47%

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

$28.7K $28.7K

$23.2K MX$402.0K

23.85%

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

$254 $254

$40.30 MX$698

531.19%

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

$59.7 $59.7

$27.15 MX$471

119.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.1 $75.1

$29.46 MX$510

154.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.18 $43.18

$52.7 MX$914

-18.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

Cinema Ticket

$14.25 $14.25

$6.18 MX$107

130.58%

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

$1,701 $1,701

$441 MX$7,637

285.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.4K $27.4K

$10.7K MX$185.4K

156.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 $58.8

$57.2 MX$992

2.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.0 $63.0

$45.04 MX$781

39.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 $93.3

$103 MX$1,793

-9.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$109 MX$1,884

15.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 $1,611

$1,000 MX$17.3K

61.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 $1,327

$632 MX$11.0K

109.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,681 $2,681

$2,141 MX$37.1K

25.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,257 $2,257

$1,253 MX$21.7K

80.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,332 $2,332

$3,745 MX$64.9K

-37.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,683 $2,683

$2,381 MX$41.3K

12.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

11.34

-42.68%

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

Last update for Chester, CA: April 21, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,611 in Chester, CA and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Chester, CA vs $54 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $469 vs $286, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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

Chester, CA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 89% lower than in Chester, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,147 in Chester, CA and $2,199 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: $1,611 in Chester, CA versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Chester, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,765 per month in Chester, CA versus $1,466 in Mexico City – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,466 in Mexico City versus $2,765 in Chester, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Chester, CA. 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 $1,466 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 89% less than in Chester, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.