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
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cuba
Mexico
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.18CUP 148
$10.63MX$198
-41.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.62CUP 591
$43.29MX$806
-43.13%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.65CUP 160
$8.94MX$166
-25.62%
Cappuccino
$1.71CUP 40.99
$3.61MX$67.2
-52.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82CUP 43.65
$1.48MX$27.47
22.97%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10CUP 26.46
$1.00MX$18.61
10.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.04CUP 48.93
$2.67MX$49.61
-23.60%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43CUP 58.3
$4.37MX$81.3
-44.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cuba
Mexico
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.69CUP 64.6
$1.59MX$29.51
69.18%
White Bread(500g)
$1.20CUP 28.83
$2.67MX$49.79
-55.06%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.98CUP 47.56
$1.68MX$31.30
17.86%
Eggs
$3.41CUP 81.9
$2.52MX$46.98
35.32%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$5.86CUP 141
$8.79MX$164
-33.33%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.11CUP 123
$7.97MX$148
-35.88%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.44CUP 275
$11.50MX$214
-0.52%
Apples(1kg)
$4.19CUP 101
$2.76MX$51.3
51.81%
Banana(1kg)
$1.16CUP 27.86
$1.52MX$28.37
-23.68%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.78CUP 42.63
$1.95MX$36.39
-8.72%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.88CUP 45.08
$1.97MX$36.62
-4.57%
Potato(1kg)
$1.88CUP 45.17
$1.96MX$36.53
-4.08%
Onion(1kg)
$2.55CUP 61.2
$2.03MX$37.76
25.62%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.96CUP 23.14
$1.43MX$26.67
-32.87%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94CUP 22.52
$1.14MX$21.21
-17.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.20CUP 76.8
$4.52MX$84.2
-29.20%
Wine(Bottle)
$9.55CUP 229
$10.87MX$202
-12.14%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79CUP 42.86
$1.77MX$32.87
1.13%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10CUP 50.4
$3.19MX$59.4
-34.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Cuba
Mexico
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.17CUP 4.17
$0.62MX$11.54
-72.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$19.66CUP 472
$29.85MX$556
-34.14%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.31CUP 55.4
$2.66MX$49.55
-13.16%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.38CUP 9.16
$2.72MX$50.6
-86.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$19.70CUP 473
$10.63MX$198
85.32%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.29CUP 31.08
$1.40MX$26.02
-7.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$70.7KCUP 1.7M
$24.0KMX$446.2K
194.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$73.0KCUP 1.8M
$23.9KMX$445.2K
205.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuba
Mexico
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$36.43CUP 874
$69.2MX$1,288
-47.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.75CUP 834
$23.51MX$438
47.81%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$225CUP 5,403
$29.00MX$540
676.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cuba
Mexico
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$39.62CUP 951
$34.74MX$647
14.05%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.71CUP 305
$17.46MX$325
-27.21%
Cinema Ticket
$1.02CUP 24.57
$5.24MX$97.6
-80.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cuba
Mexico
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$115CUP 2,767
$261MX$4,851
-55.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$13.5KCUP 323.1K
$5,999MX$111.7K
124.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cuba
Mexico
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.90CUP 1,030
$55.8MX$1,039
-23.17%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.23CUP 845
$41.58MX$774
-15.27%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$71.7CUP 1,720
$96.3MX$1,793
-25.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.0CUP 1,704
$90.1MX$1,677
-21.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cuba
Mexico
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$332CUP 7,972
$713MX$13.3K
-53.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$454CUP 10.9K
$477MX$8,879
-4.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$876CUP 21.0K
$1,358MX$25.3K
-35.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$589CUP 14.1K
$906MX$16.9K
-34.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$355CUP 8,524
$2,597MX$48.3K
-86.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$335CUP 8,044
$1,565MX$29.1K
-78.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cuba
Mexico
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$35.80CUP 859
$773MX$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.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cuba
$454 35.7%
Mexico
$477 37.4% ↑ 5%$23
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuba
$296 23.3%
Mexico
$122 9.6% ↓ 58.9%$175
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cuba
$240 18.9%
Mexico
$267 21% ↑ 11%$27
🍽Eating Out
Cuba
$117 9.2%
Mexico
$187 14.7% ↑ 60.5%$71
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cuba
$99 7.8%
Mexico
$128 10% ↑ 28.6%$28
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cuba
$42 3.3%
Mexico
$45 3.6% ↑ 8.5%$3.6
🚌Getting Around
Cuba
$25 1.9%
Mexico
$49 3.8% ↑ 97.7%$24
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cuba
$589 26.8%
Mexico
$906 33% ↑ 53.8%$317
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuba
$331 15%
Mexico
$145 5.3% ↓ 56.1%$186
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cuba
$562 25.5%
Mexico
$612 22.3% ↑ 8.9%$50
🍽Eating Out
Cuba
$352 16%
Mexico
$593 21.6% ↑ 68.3%$241
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cuba
$221 10%
Mexico
$284 10.3% ↑ 28.6%$63
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cuba
$96 4.4%
Mexico
$108 3.9% ↑ 12.3%$12
🚌Getting Around
Cuba
$49 2.3%
Mexico
$98 3.6% ↑ 98.8%$49
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.
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.