Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuba and Mexico

For one person, living costs are similar in Cuba and in Mexico: $1,273 and $1,274 a month, rent and utilities included.

Cuba
Mexico
🇨🇺 Cuba
$1,273
/mo nomad
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,274
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuba and in Mexico

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Cuba versus $1,274 in Mexico.

  • Cuba $1,273
  • Mexico $1,274

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,737 in Cuba versus $2,010 in Mexico.

  • Cuba $1,737
  • Mexico $2,010

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,201 in Cuba versus $2,746 in Mexico.

  • Cuba $2,201
  • Mexico $2,746

Internal cost variation is higher in Mexico: monthly costs span $730 to $2,625, compared to $185–$1,570 in Cuba. City choice carries more weight in Mexico.

Both countries sit below the global median: Cuba 6% lower, Mexico 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cuba
Mexico
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.18 CUP 148
$10.63 MX$198
-41.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.62 CUP 591
$43.29 MX$806
-43.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.65 CUP 160
$8.94 MX$166
-25.62%
Cappuccino
$1.71 CUP 40.99
$3.61 MX$67.2
-52.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 CUP 43.65
$1.48 MX$27.47
22.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 CUP 26.46
$1.00 MX$18.61
10.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.04 CUP 48.93
$2.67 MX$49.61
-23.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 CUP 58.3
$4.37 MX$81.3
-44.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cuba
Mexico
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.69 CUP 64.6
$1.59 MX$29.51
69.18%
White Bread (500g)
$1.20 CUP 28.83
$2.67 MX$49.79
-55.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.98 CUP 47.56
$1.68 MX$31.30
17.86%
Eggs
$3.41 CUP 81.9
$2.52 MX$46.98
35.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.86 CUP 141
$8.79 MX$164
-33.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.11 CUP 123
$7.97 MX$148
-35.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.44 CUP 275
$11.50 MX$214
-0.52%
Apples (1kg)
$4.19 CUP 101
$2.76 MX$51.3
51.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.16 CUP 27.86
$1.52 MX$28.37
-23.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 CUP 42.63
$1.95 MX$36.39
-8.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.88 CUP 45.08
$1.97 MX$36.62
-4.57%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 CUP 45.17
$1.96 MX$36.53
-4.08%
Onion (1kg)
$2.55 CUP 61.2
$2.03 MX$37.76
25.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.96 CUP 23.14
$1.43 MX$26.67
-32.87%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 CUP 22.52
$1.14 MX$21.21
-17.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.20 CUP 76.8
$4.52 MX$84.2
-29.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.55 CUP 229
$10.87 MX$202
-12.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 CUP 42.86
$1.77 MX$32.87
1.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 CUP 50.4
$3.19 MX$59.4
-34.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Cuba
Mexico
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.17 CUP 4.17
$0.62 MX$11.54
-72.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.66 CUP 472
$29.85 MX$556
-34.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.31 CUP 55.4
$2.66 MX$49.55
-13.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.38 CUP 9.16
$2.72 MX$50.6
-86.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.70 CUP 473
$10.63 MX$198
85.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 CUP 31.08
$1.40 MX$26.02
-7.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$70.7K CUP 1.7M
$24.0K MX$446.2K
194.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$73.0K CUP 1.8M
$23.9K MX$445.2K
205.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuba
Mexico
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$36.43 CUP 874
$69.2 MX$1,288
-47.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.75 CUP 834
$23.51 MX$438
47.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$225 CUP 5,403
$29.00 MX$540
676.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cuba
Mexico
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.62 CUP 951
$34.74 MX$647
14.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.71 CUP 305
$17.46 MX$325
-27.21%
Cinema Ticket
$1.02 CUP 24.57
$5.24 MX$97.6
-80.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cuba
Mexico
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$115 CUP 2,767
$261 MX$4,851
-55.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.5K CUP 323.1K
$5,999 MX$111.7K
124.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cuba
Mexico
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.90 CUP 1,030
$55.8 MX$1,039
-23.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.23 CUP 845
$41.58 MX$774
-15.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.7 CUP 1,720
$96.3 MX$1,793
-25.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.0 CUP 1,704
$90.1 MX$1,677
-21.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cuba
Mexico
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$332 CUP 7,972
$713 MX$13.3K
-53.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$454 CUP 10.9K
$477 MX$8,879
-4.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$876 CUP 21.0K
$1,358 MX$25.3K
-35.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$589 CUP 14.1K
$906 MX$16.9K
-34.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$355 CUP 8,524
$2,597 MX$48.3K
-86.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$335 CUP 8,044
$1,565 MX$29.1K
-78.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cuba
Mexico
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$35.80 CUP 859
$773 MX$14.4K
-95.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.38
11.43
-17.94%

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

Last update for Cuba: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cuba
$454
Mexico
$477 5% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuba
$296
Mexico
$122 58.9% $175
Groceries & Markets
Cuba
$240
Mexico
$267 11% $27
Eating Out
Cuba
$117
Mexico
$187 60.5% $71
Clothing & Footwear
Cuba
$99
Mexico
$128 28.6% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Cuba
$42
Mexico
$45 8.5% $3.6
Getting Around
Cuba
$25
Mexico
$49 97.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $380 in Cuba, $624 in Mexico. Capital cities: $243 in Havana vs $1,113 in Mexico City.

National salary averages: $37 in Cuba, $722 in Mexico. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 64% higher in Mexico.

Dining out costs 54% more in Mexico.

Public transport is 35% more expensive in Mexico.

Salaries are about 20 times higher in Mexico, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Mexico.

Good to know
🇨🇺 Cuba
🇲🇽 Mexico
🕒 Local time
02:22 2:22 AM
00:22 12:22 AM
2 h behind Cuba
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,985,974
124,777,324
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.71 CUP (100 CUP = 3.74 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.62 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.72 MXN (100 MXN = 4.83 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cuba Mexico 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Cuba
  • Mexico

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
Cuba vs Mexico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is rent more expensive in Cuba or in Mexico?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $624 in Mexico and $380 in Cuba. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Which country is better for expats: Cuba or Mexico?
It depends on what you’re after: Cuba wins on affordability; Mexico may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

Cuba vs other spots: cost of living compared

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