Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad Juarez and Managua Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad Juarez and Managua

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $979 per month in Ciudad Juarez vs $938 in Managua, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,654 per month in Ciudad Juarez vs $1,545 in Managua, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,329 per month in Ciudad Juarez vs $2,152 in Managua, rent included.

Ciudad Juarez costs about 4% more than Managua, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Ciudad Juarez and Managua are more affordable than the global median – Ciudad Juarez 27% lower, Managua 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 MX$140

$4.88 NIO 179

64.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.29 MX$547

$34.67 NIO 1,270

-9.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 MX$177

$7.10 NIO 260

42.25%

Cappuccino

$3.27 MX$57.1

$2.44 NIO 89.2

34.02%

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

$1.13 MX$19.73

$0.81 NIO 29.67

39.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 MX$14.86

$0.69 NIO 25.28

23.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 MX$38.01

$1.34 NIO 49.13

61.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 MX$68.2

$2.02 NIO 74.0

93.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.60

$1.22 NIO 44.59

34.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 MX$41.20

$2.45 NIO 89.6

-3.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.69

$1.87 NIO 68.5

-6.42%

Eggs

$2.39 MX$41.81

$2.27 NIO 83.2

5.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 MX$194

$11.03 NIO 404

0.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.63 MX$151

$6.44 NIO 236

34.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 MX$155

$7.93 NIO 291

12.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.77

$3.84 NIO 141

-48.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 MX$21.48

$0.90 NIO 32.81

36.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.99

$1.84 NIO 67.5

-6.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 MX$40.00

$2.22 NIO 81.1

3.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 MX$27.17

$3.90 NIO 143

-60.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 MX$43.54

$2.19 NIO 80.1

13.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 MX$36.71

$1.02 NIO 37.39

105.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.27

$1.05 NIO 38.44

-21.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 MX$73.9

$2.68 NIO 98.2

57.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.38 MX$199

$14.81 NIO 542

-23.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$21.02

$1.39 NIO 50.9

-13.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 MX$61.9

$2.18 NIO 79.9

62.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$10.82

$0.13 NIO 4.92

376.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.44 MX$672

$5.90 NIO 216

551.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 MX$45.24

$1.46 NIO 53.5

77.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 MX$17.59

$0.54 NIO 19.76

87.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.91 MX$278

$6.81 NIO 250

133.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 MX$20.33

$1.31 NIO 48.09

-11.45%

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

$23.9K MX$417.3K

$22.6K NIO 829.4K

5.39%

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

$21.3K MX$372.1K

$26.7K NIO 979.7K

-20.45%

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

$67.4 MX$1,178

$98.0 NIO 3,588

-31.22%

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

$23.23 MX$406

$16.68 NIO 611

39.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.08 MX$561

$37.05 NIO 1,357

-13.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.18 MX$528

$35.43 NIO 1,298

-14.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.78 MX$188

$15.02 NIO 550

-28.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 MX$76.8

$7.80 NIO 286

-43.72%

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

$210 MX$3,672

$123 NIO 4,501

70.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,645 MX$46.2K

$5,934 NIO 217.3K

-55.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.50 MX$726

$76.7 NIO 2,810

-45.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.32 MX$373

$72.4 NIO 2,652

-70.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.1 MX$1,435

$133 NIO 4,879

-38.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.1 MX$1,225

$110 NIO 4,036

-36.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 MX$6,861

$258 NIO 9,456

51.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 MX$4,288

$191 NIO 6,994

28.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$876 MX$15.3K

$431 NIO 15.8K

103.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 MX$13.0K

$441 NIO 16.1K

68.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,009 MX$17.6K

$1,189 NIO 43.6K

-15.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$713 MX$12.5K

$647 NIO 23.7K

10.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 MX$10.6K

$358 NIO 13.1K

68.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

10.25

9.76%

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

Last update for Ciudad Juarez: July 13, 2026

Last update for Managua: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $392 in Ciudad Juarez versus $258 in Managua. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 69% higher in Ciudad Juarez, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Ciudad Juarez versus $35.00 in Managua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $259 vs $259 – making Ciudad Juarez 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

Ciudad Juarez vs Managua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $979 in Ciudad Juarez, $938 in Managua – roughly 4% apart. Ciudad Juarez costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,469 per month in Ciudad Juarez and $1,407 in Managua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Managua, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Ciudad Juarez and $35.00 in Managua. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $979 in Ciudad Juarez and $938 in Managua. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Managua, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Ciudad Juarez at $979. In Managua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ciudad Juarez it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Managua – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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