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 $963 per month in Ciudad Juarez vs $952 in Managua, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,665 per month in Ciudad Juarez vs $1,555 in Managua, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,366 per month in Ciudad Juarez vs $2,158 in Managua, rent included.

Ciudad Juarez costs about 1% more than Managua, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Ciudad Juarez and Managua are more affordable than the global median – Ciudad Juarez 28% lower, Managua 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.98 MX$138

$4.80 NIO 176

66.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.30 MX$541

$35.28 NIO 1,292

-11.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 MX$177

$6.90 NIO 253

48.12%

Cappuccino

$3.28 MX$56.7

$2.44 NIO 89.3

34.43%

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

$1.15 MX$19.84

$0.80 NIO 29.36

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.92

$0.69 NIO 25.21

17.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 MX$37.17

$1.33 NIO 48.60

61.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 MX$68.4

$2.06 NIO 75.4

92.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$27.04

$1.25 NIO 45.85

24.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 MX$40.48

$2.37 NIO 86.9

-1.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MX$31.94

$1.82 NIO 66.8

1.65%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$42.55

$2.31 NIO 84.6

6.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 MX$192

$11.00 NIO 403

0.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.67 MX$150

$6.51 NIO 238

33.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 MX$154

$8.10 NIO 297

10.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.38

$3.86 NIO 141

-50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 MX$20.89

$0.89 NIO 32.77

35.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 MX$28.86

$1.84 NIO 67.5

-9.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 MX$41.22

$2.28 NIO 83.7

4.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.89

$3.94 NIO 144

-60.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 MX$41.87

$2.24 NIO 82.2

8.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 MX$36.33

$1.06 NIO 38.98

98.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.23

$1.05 NIO 38.52

-16.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.6

$2.61 NIO 95.4

60.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.64 MX$201

$14.53 NIO 532

-19.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 MX$20.31

$1.41 NIO 51.7

-17.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 MX$61.2

$2.16 NIO 79.1

63.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.55

$0.16 NIO 5.81

281.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.24 MX$679

$5.93 NIO 217

561.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 MX$46.47

$1.46 NIO 53.7

84.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 MX$17.62

$0.54 NIO 19.61

88.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.56 MX$269

$6.70 NIO 246

132.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 MX$20.93

$1.29 NIO 47.27

-6.20%

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

$23.4K MX$404.7K

$22.7K NIO 831.7K

3.03%

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

$21.4K MX$369.3K

$26.7K NIO 976.9K

-19.96%

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

$67.4 MX$1,165

$98.2 NIO 3,595

-31.35%

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

$23.94 MX$414

$17.14 NIO 628

39.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.37 MX$543

$37.51 NIO 1,374

-16.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.13 MX$521

$35.85 NIO 1,313

-15.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.60 MX$183

$14.84 NIO 543

-28.57%

Cinema Ticket

$4.56 MX$78.8

$7.92 NIO 290

-42.42%

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

$210 MX$3,629

$122 NIO 4,474

71.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,689 MX$46.5K

$6,003 NIO 219.9K

-55.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.13 MX$729

$78.2 NIO 2,862

-46.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.23 MX$367

$71.1 NIO 2,605

-70.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$131 NIO 4,802

-39.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.2 MX$1,197

$110 NIO 4,012

-36.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$389 MX$6,722

$255 NIO 9,348

52.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 MX$4,269

$191 NIO 7,000

29.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$875 MX$15.1K

$442 NIO 16.2K

97.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 MX$12.8K

$444 NIO 16.3K

66.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,009 MX$17.5K

$1,209 NIO 44.3K

-16.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$730 MX$12.6K

$646 NIO 23.7K

12.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$615 MX$10.6K

$360 NIO 13.2K

71.04%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Managua: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $389 in Ciudad Juarez versus $255 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 71% 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: $260 vs $260 – 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: $963 in Ciudad Juarez, $952 in Managua – roughly 1% apart. Ciudad Juarez costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,444 per month in Ciudad Juarez and $1,428 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 $963 in Ciudad Juarez and $952 in Managua. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $963 in Ciudad Juarez and $952 in Managua, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.