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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $733 per month in Chimaltenango vs $1,484 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,236 per month in Chimaltenango vs $2,381 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,739 per month in Chimaltenango vs $3,278 in Mexico City, rent included.

Chimaltenango is about 51% cheaper than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Chimaltenango sits 45% below the global median, while Mexico City is 11% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.28 Q 40.37

$12.98 MX$227

-59.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 Q 386

$53.1 MX$929

-4.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.19 Q 47.26

$9.72 MX$170

-36.32%

Cappuccino

$3.39 Q 25.86

$3.75 MX$65.6

-9.60%

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

$1.19 Q 9.09

$1.57 MX$27.46

-24.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 Q 7.10

$1.13 MX$19.76

-17.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 Q 25.20

$3.18 MX$55.7

3.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 Q 34.23

$4.66 MX$81.6

-3.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 Q 16.25

$1.62 MX$28.37

31.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 Q 24.01

$2.71 MX$47.36

15.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 Q 16.28

$1.88 MX$32.89

13.30%

Eggs

$2.65 Q 20.23

$2.51 MX$43.90

5.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.09 Q 61.8

$10.08 MX$176

-19.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 Q 64.1

$8.29 MX$145

1.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 Q 91.2

$11.94 MX$209

-0.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 Q 26.94

$2.86 MX$50.1

23.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Q 11.60

$1.75 MX$30.62

-13.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 Q 23.41

$2.08 MX$36.48

47.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 Q 13.27

$1.97 MX$34.46

-11.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 Q 12.86

$2.16 MX$37.79

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 Q 17.46

$2.18 MX$38.16

5.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 Q 5.70

$1.39 MX$24.34

-46.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Q 9.44

$1.12 MX$19.69

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 Q 27.21

$4.20 MX$73.5

-15.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 Q 63.7

$14.25 MX$249

-41.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 Q 12.24

$1.76 MX$30.85

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 Q 18.90

$3.68 MX$64.5

-32.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 Q 40.20

$1.39 MX$24.26

278.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 Q 4.86

$0.30 MX$5.32

113.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.63 Q 119

$5.42 MX$94.9

188.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 Q 8.49

$1.35 MX$23.63

-17.78%

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

$19.9K Q 151.8K

$18.9K MX$330.5K

5.22%

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

$24.4K Q 186.4K

$23.2K MX$405.2K

5.36%

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

$80.5 Q 615

$40.82 MX$714

97.11%

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

$26.77 Q 205

$27.50 MX$481

-2.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.17 Q 368

$30.38 MX$532

58.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$7.36 Q 56.3

$6.27 MX$110

17.38%

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

$248 Q 1,893

$436 MX$7,632

-43.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,726 Q 43.7K

$10.5K MX$183.2K

-45.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 Q 387

$56.8 MX$993

-10.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 Q 403

$44.79 MX$784

17.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 Q 885

$103 MX$1,799

12.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 Q 937

$108 MX$1,888

13.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.9

11.34

-21.52%

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

Last update for Chimaltenango: April 28, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Chimaltenango versus $53.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $279 vs $286 – making Chimaltenango the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Mexico City costs about 102% more than Chimaltenango, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,099 per month in Chimaltenango and $2,225 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Chimaltenango and $53.0 in Mexico City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chimaltenango, where all-in costs run around $733, than in Mexico City at $1,484. In Chimaltenango it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chimaltenango costs $733 versus $1,484 in Mexico City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chimaltenango. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.