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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $600 in Chilanga versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $955 in Chilanga versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,310 in Chilanga versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Chilanga costs roughly 64% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chilanga is 56% below, Mexico City is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.89 ZMW 115

$11.92 MX$206

-50.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.85 ZMW 603

$51.6 MX$890

-40.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ZMW 101

$11.41 MX$197

-54.86%

Cappuccino

$2.86 ZMW 55.8

$3.99 MX$68.9

-28.32%

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

$0.80 ZMW 15.68

$1.66 MX$28.61

-51.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ZMW 9.84

$1.33 MX$22.87

-62.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 ZMW 24.99

$3.47 MX$59.9

-63.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ZMW 47.02

$5.90 MX$102

-59.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ZMW 35.68

$1.88 MX$32.36

-2.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ZMW 24.70

$3.25 MX$56.1

-61.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 ZMW 41.08

$2.16 MX$37.26

-2.78%

Eggs

$2.03 ZMW 39.58

$2.90 MX$49.94

-30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 ZMW 211

$12.86 MX$222

-15.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 ZMW 125

$10.05 MX$173

-36.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.61 ZMW 129

$15.86 MX$273

-58.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 ZMW 67.8

$3.29 MX$56.8

5.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 ZMW 49.80

$2.01 MX$34.60

26.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.69 ZMW 72.0

$2.20 MX$37.93

67.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ZMW 31.62

$2.36 MX$40.63

-31.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 ZMW 50.6

$2.05 MX$35.43

26.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 ZMW 36.06

$1.90 MX$32.79

-2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ZMW 22.50

$1.61 MX$27.68

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ZMW 16.10

$1.40 MX$24.09

-41.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 ZMW 59.5

$5.46 MX$94.2

-44.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 ZMW 200

$17.65 MX$304

-42.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 ZMW 28.26

$2.06 MX$35.44

-29.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ZMW 45.79

$4.68 MX$80.8

-50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 ZMW 52.5

$2.10 MX$36.15

28.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 ZMW 31.22

$0.56 MX$9.64

185.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 ZMW 101

$5.81 MX$100

-10.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 ZMW 31.61

$1.61 MX$27.68

0.62%

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

$7,842 ZMW 153.1K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

-65.67%

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

$27.0K ZMW 528.2K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

1.10%

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

$83.2 ZMW 1,625

$65.2 MX$1,124

27.68%

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

$10.89 ZMW 213

$30.09 MX$519

-63.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 ZMW 1,129

$37.18 MX$641

55.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.08 ZMW 119

$7.04 MX$121

-13.64%

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

$141 ZMW 2,754

$465 MX$8,012

-69.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ZMW 329.1K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

26.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.11 ZMW 471

$75.9 MX$1,308

-68.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.96 ZMW 312

$56.0 MX$965

-71.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.08 ZMW 900

$112 MX$1,929

-58.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 ZMW 1,468

$121 MX$2,078

-37.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

156.64%

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

Last update for Chilanga: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $31.00 in Chilanga vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $345 per month, with Chilanga 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

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

Chilanga and Mexico City differ by about 177% in total monthly costs ($600 vs $1,660 including rent). Chilanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $900 in Chilanga and $2,489 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.

Childcare runs $141 in Chilanga versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chilanga – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $600 in Chilanga versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chilanga but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Chilanga 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 Chilanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 177% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.