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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $763 in Crato versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,230 in Crato versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,697 in Crato versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Crato costs roughly 47% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Crato is 43% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.42 R$27.42

$12.98 MX$223

-58.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.36 R$139

$52.6 MX$903

-47.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.28 R$31.82

$9.43 MX$162

-33.40%

Cappuccino

$1.73 R$8.75

$3.57 MX$61.3

-51.54%

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

$1.11 R$5.64

$1.61 MX$27.55

-31.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.08

$1.15 MX$19.81

-46.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 R$8.96

$3.15 MX$54.0

-43.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 R$13.90

$4.86 MX$83.4

-43.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 R$4.97

$1.70 MX$29.17

-42.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 R$7.34

$2.64 MX$45.23

-45.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.98

$1.90 MX$32.67

-37.89%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.14

$2.54 MX$43.62

-21.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.01 R$40.56

$10.08 MX$173

-20.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 R$18.22

$8.29 MX$142

-56.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.11 R$35.97

$11.57 MX$199

-38.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 R$10.89

$3.03 MX$52.0

-29.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.65

$1.71 MX$29.35

-23.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.09

$2.05 MX$35.16

-41.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.28

$2.06 MX$35.36

-30.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.82

$2.06 MX$35.43

-44.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.61

$2.17 MX$37.25

-48.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 R$3.70

$1.40 MX$24.08

-47.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 R$3.30

$1.12 MX$19.26

-41.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.12 R$10.71

$4.29 MX$73.7

-50.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.32 R$42.14

$15.41 MX$265

-46.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 R$6.46

$1.67 MX$28.74

-23.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 R$10.35

$3.69 MX$63.3

-44.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 R$4.43

$0.38 MX$6.55

128.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.14 R$193

$19.06 MX$327

100.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 R$5.36

$1.38 MX$23.70

-23.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 R$3.75

$0.28 MX$4.74

164.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.50 R$32.89

$5.42 MX$92.9

19.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.43

$1.28 MX$21.98

-16.41%

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

$21.0K R$106.1K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

10.45%

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

$27.8K R$140.7K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

18.47%

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

$60.0 R$304

$41.02 MX$704

46.37%

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

$13.52 R$68.4

$26.92 MX$462

-49.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.93 R$95.8

$29.69 MX$510

-36.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.56 R$114

$52.3 MX$898

-56.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.36 R$108

$26.23 MX$450

-18.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 R$32.52

$6.18 MX$106

3.88%

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

$265 R$1,343

$427 MX$7,331

-37.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,537 R$33.1K

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-38.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.91 R$248

$56.8 MX$975

-13.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.59 R$211

$44.83 MX$769

-7.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 R$383

$105 MX$1,794

-27.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.5 R$327

$106 MX$1,819

-39.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$321 R$1,627

$995 MX$17.1K

-67.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$215 R$1,087

$621 MX$10.7K

-65.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 R$2,916

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-72.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 R$2,172

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-65.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,616 R$8,180

$3,903 MX$67.0K

-58.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,276 R$6,461

$2,096 MX$36.0K

-39.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

11.34

-3.70%

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

Last update for Crato: June 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $321 in Crato and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Crato vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $288 per month, with Crato 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

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

Crato wins on cost – living expenses run 90% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Crato the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,144 in Crato and $2,171 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: $321 in Crato versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Crato runs roughly 100% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $265 in Crato versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $763 in Crato versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Crato but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Crato the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Crato delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $763 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Crato hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Crato gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.