Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuba and Mexico Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuba and Mexico

Name: Mexico
Address: MX

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $958 in Cuba versus $1,123 in Mexico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,310 in Cuba versus $1,789 in Mexico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,661 in Cuba versus $2,455 in Mexico.

Living in Cuba costs about 15% less than in Mexico on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Cuba 29% lower, Mexico 16% lower.

Cuba ($23.00–$1,579) and Mexico ($686–$2,407) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.85 CUP 140

$10.44 MX$181

-43.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.21 CUP 605

$42.03 MX$727

-40.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.81 CUP 164

$8.16 MX$141

-16.54%

Cappuccino

$1.61 CUP 38.66

$3.36 MX$58.0

-52.08%

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

$1.97 CUP 47.37

$1.33 MX$22.99

48.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CUP 29.46

$0.91 MX$15.67

35.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 CUP 48.50

$2.33 MX$40.29

-13.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CUP 60.5

$4.26 MX$73.7

-40.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 CUP 70.7

$1.53 MX$26.42

92.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 CUP 27.25

$2.58 MX$44.68

-55.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 CUP 48.24

$1.75 MX$30.17

14.86%

Eggs

$3.06 CUP 73.4

$2.39 MX$41.39

28.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.87 CUP 141

$8.37 MX$145

-29.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 CUP 131

$7.87 MX$136

-30.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 CUP 266

$10.74 MX$186

3.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 CUP 107

$2.83 MX$48.87

56.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 CUP 28.39

$1.46 MX$25.21

-19.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 CUP 37.39

$1.92 MX$33.13

-18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 CUP 38.69

$1.87 MX$32.37

-13.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 CUP 41.82

$1.99 MX$34.42

-12.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 CUP 59.8

$2.08 MX$35.90

19.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 CUP 21.28

$1.32 MX$22.85

-32.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 CUP 24.56

$1.01 MX$17.50

0.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 CUP 86.0

$4.28 MX$74.1

-16.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 CUP 239

$11.48 MX$198

-13.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 CUP 48.87

$1.60 MX$27.70

27.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 CUP 48.85

$2.94 MX$50.8

-30.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 CUP 4.83

$0.65 MX$11.16

-69.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.17 CUP 532

$26.49 MX$458

-16.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 CUP 49.99

$2.57 MX$44.48

-19.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 CUP 12.38

$1.97 MX$33.97

-73.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.27 CUP 487

$10.46 MX$181

93.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CUP 29.25

$1.30 MX$22.54

-6.15%

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

$69.5K CUP 1.7M

$20.4K MX$353.4K

239.72%

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

$76.6K CUP 1.8M

$23.0K MX$397.1K

233.46%

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

$37.07 CUP 890

$62.3 MX$1,078

-40.54%

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

$35.07 CUP 842

$23.43 MX$405

49.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$228 CUP 5,482

$28.55 MX$494

700.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.33 CUP 848

$35.43 MX$612

-0.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.44 CUP 298

$18.25 MX$315

-31.84%

Cinema Ticket

$0.98 CUP 23.64

$4.63 MX$80.0

-78.83%

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

$107 CUP 2,566

$252 MX$4,362

-57.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K CUP 322.8K

$5,610 MX$97.0K

139.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.91 CUP 910

$51.6 MX$891

-26.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.22 CUP 773

$40.05 MX$692

-19.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.9 CUP 1,677

$92.9 MX$1,606

-24.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 CUP 1,711

$89.3 MX$1,544

-20.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 CUP 8,164

$652 MX$11.3K

-47.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 CUP 12.6K

$455 MX$7,863

15.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$907 CUP 21.8K

$1,223 MX$21.1K

-25.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 CUP 15.1K

$872 MX$15.1K

-28.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$359 CUP 8,628

$2,613 MX$45.2K

-86.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$333 CUP 7,991

$1,574 MX$27.2K

-78.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$36.29 CUP 871

$792 MX$13.7K

-95.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.96

11.45

-21.75%

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

Last update for Cuba: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $269 in Cuba, $529 in Mexico. Capital cities: $365 in Havana vs $995 in Mexico City.

National salary averages: $36.00 in Cuba, $769 in Mexico. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 97% higher in Mexico.

Dining out costs 70% more in Mexico.

Public transport is 36% more expensive in Cuba.

Salaries are 2036% higher in Mexico, giving Mexico stronger purchasing power.

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

At $801 per month in Cuba and $1,547 in Mexico, there's a 93% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Cuba is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Mexico beats Cuba across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Cuba, $1,000 covers most cities easily. In Mexico, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

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.