Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuajimalpa and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuajimalpa: $1,141 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cuajimalpa
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,141
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,548
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuajimalpa and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cuajimalpa and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,141 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

  • Cuajimalpa $1,141
  • Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,827 in Cuajimalpa versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

  • Cuajimalpa $1,827
  • Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,514 in Cuajimalpa versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

  • Cuajimalpa $2,514
  • Mexico City $3,323

Living in Cuajimalpa costs roughly 26% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cuajimalpa is 16% below, Mexico City is 14% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cuajimalpa
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.81 MX$200
$11.02 MX$204
-1.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.13 MX$797
$48.68 MX$900
-11.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.35 MX$154
$10.90 MX$201
-23.39%
Cappuccino
$3.60 MX$66.6
$3.68 MX$68.1
-2.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 MX$25.87
$1.63 MX$30.18
-14.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 MX$19.50
$1.25 MX$23.07
-15.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.52 MX$46.60
$3.25 MX$60.1
-22.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.96 MX$73.2
$5.53 MX$102
-28.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cuajimalpa
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 MX$29.16
$1.70 MX$31.50
-7.06%
White Bread (500g)
$2.64 MX$48.81
$3.02 MX$55.8
-12.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 MX$31.34
$1.92 MX$35.53
-11.46%
Eggs
$2.46 MX$45.39
$2.73 MX$50.5
-9.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.08 MX$149
$11.77 MX$218
-31.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.10 MX$150
$9.53 MX$176
-15.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.30 MX$209
$14.41 MX$266
-21.58%
Apples (1kg)
$2.79 MX$51.5
$3.02 MX$55.8
-7.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 MX$27.83
$1.89 MX$35.01
-20.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 MX$34.44
$1.99 MX$36.70
-6.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.81 MX$33.42
$2.19 MX$40.38
-17.35%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 MX$36.89
$1.92 MX$35.43
4.17%
Onion (1kg)
$1.91 MX$35.21
$1.87 MX$34.49
2.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 MX$26.42
$1.44 MX$26.62
-0.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 MX$20.79
$1.27 MX$23.39
-11.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.44 MX$82.1
$5.22 MX$96.4
-14.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.50 MX$194
$16.17 MX$299
-35.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 MX$33.13
$1.90 MX$35.03
-5.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 MX$58.8
$4.22 MX$78.0
-24.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Cuajimalpa
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.69 MX$12.73
$0.34 MX$6.30
102.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$19.65 MX$363
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.62 MX$48.32
$2.00 MX$36.90
31.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.01 MX$37.15
$0.52 MX$9.67
286.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.91 MX$202
$5.34 MX$98.7
104.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.64
$1.52 MX$28.13
-5.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.9K MX$386.5K
$22.1K MX$408.0K
-5.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K MX$448.9K
$24.5K MX$452.9K
-0.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuajimalpa
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.5 MX$1,063
$61.1 MX$1,129
-5.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.78 MX$421
$28.58 MX$528
-20.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.83 MX$551
$34.47 MX$637
-13.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cuajimalpa
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.34 MX$635
$56.4 MX$1,042
-39.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.21 MX$373
$24.88 MX$460
-18.77%
Cinema Ticket
$5.31 MX$98.1
$6.66 MX$123
-20.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cuajimalpa
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$223 MX$4,122
$427 MX$7,891
-47.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,649 MX$85.9K
$11.6K MX$215.0K
-60.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cuajimalpa
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.5 MX$1,008
$67.8 MX$1,253
-19.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.13 MX$760
$52.0 MX$960
-20.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 MX$1,863
$106 MX$1,959
-4.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6 MX$1,636
$113 MX$2,080
-21.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cuajimalpa
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$600 MX$11.1K
$1,025 MX$18.9K
-41.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$395 MX$7,290
$654 MX$12.1K
-39.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,021 MX$18.9K
$2,308 MX$42.7K
-55.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$764 MX$14.1K
$1,242 MX$22.9K
-38.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,905 MX$35.2K
$3,613 MX$66.8K
-47.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,154 MX$21.3K
$1,936 MX$35.8K
-40.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cuajimalpa
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$964 MX$17.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
11.3
-

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

Last update for Cuajimalpa: October 18, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cuajimalpa
$395
Mexico City
$654 65.8% $260
Groceries & Markets
Cuajimalpa
$262
Mexico City
$318 21.3% $56
Eating Out
Cuajimalpa
$185
Mexico City
$204 10.1% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Cuajimalpa
$128
Mexico City
$152 18.7% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuajimalpa
$110
Mexico City
$124 12.7% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Cuajimalpa
$45
Mexico City
$70 55% $25
Getting Around
Cuajimalpa
$15 *
Mexico City
$26 66.2% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $600 in Cuajimalpa and $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Cuajimalpa vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $262 vs $318 per month, with Cuajimalpa cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Cuajimalpa
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
06:13 6:13 AM
06:13 6:13 AM
Same time as Cuajimalpa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
217,686
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cuajimalpa Mexico City 19 km
From you
  • Cuajimalpa
  • Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Cuajimalpa vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mexico City cheaper than Cuajimalpa?
Cuajimalpa is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,711 in Cuajimalpa and $2,322 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.
What is the rent difference between Cuajimalpa and Mexico City?
Rent for a central apartment: $600 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $223 in Cuajimalpa versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Cuajimalpa or in Mexico City?
Dining out is cheaper in Cuajimalpa – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cuajimalpa or in Mexico City?
At $1,141 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuajimalpa but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cuajimalpa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cuajimalpa or Mexico City more family-friendly?
For families, Cuajimalpa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cuajimalpa or Mexico City?
Safety-wise, Cuajimalpa and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cuajimalpa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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