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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,076 in Cuernavaca versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,819 in Cuernavaca versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,562 in Cuernavaca versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Cuernavaca costs roughly 36% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cuernavaca is 22% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.69 MX$147

$12.14 MX$206

-28.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.14 MX$698

$53.9 MX$914

-23.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 MX$127

$11.09 MX$188

-32.37%

Cappuccino

$2.67 MX$45.36

$4.10 MX$69.5

-34.88%

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

$1.43 MX$24.22

$1.68 MX$28.53

-14.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 MX$11.53

$1.39 MX$23.55

-51.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MX$45.66

$3.33 MX$56.5

-19.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 MX$59.6

$5.88 MX$99.7

-40.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.35

$1.85 MX$31.41

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 MX$42.03

$3.17 MX$53.8

-21.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.41

$2.07 MX$35.13

-24.64%

Eggs

$2.18 MX$37.00

$2.93 MX$49.67

-25.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 MX$146

$12.59 MX$214

-31.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 MX$87.8

$10.11 MX$172

-48.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 MX$245

$16.09 MX$273

-10.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 MX$41.17

$3.39 MX$57.5

-28.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$24.64

$2.08 MX$35.26

-30.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 MX$41.27

$2.12 MX$35.97

14.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.42

$2.41 MX$40.95

-25.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.59

$2.13 MX$36.11

-9.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.77

$2.01 MX$34.02

-6.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 MX$27.66

$1.55 MX$26.21

5.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 MX$16.37

$1.36 MX$23.15

-29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.82 MX$81.8

$5.77 MX$97.8

-16.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.07 MX$154

$17.74 MX$301

-48.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.68

$2.07 MX$35.11

-35.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 MX$59.4

$4.61 MX$78.3

-24.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.37 MX$6.21

51.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.80 MX$506

$21.18 MX$359

40.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 MX$35.85

$2.05 MX$34.84

2.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.77 MX$47.00

$0.58 MX$9.79

377.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.62 MX$197

$6.07 MX$103

91.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$24.73

$1.55 MX$26.34

-5.81%

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

$22.6K MX$383.5K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

-1.19%

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

$25.4K MX$431.3K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

-6.64%

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

$64.4 MX$1,092

$67.4 MX$1,144

-4.51%

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

$19.57 MX$332

$30.62 MX$520

-36.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.46 MX$466

$37.24 MX$632

-26.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.38 MX$481

$61.5 MX$1,043

-53.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.02 MX$102

$7.11 MX$121

-15.33%

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

$234 MX$3,966

$456 MX$7,739

-48.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,418 MX$91.9K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-60.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.69 MX$741

$74.2 MX$1,259

-41.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.87 MX$592

$57.0 MX$967

-38.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,717

$115 MX$1,958

-12.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 MX$1,768

$122 MX$2,061

-14.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 MX$7,136

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-63.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 MX$6,012

$709 MX$12.0K

-50.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$17.1K

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-60.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 MX$14.6K

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-33.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$957 MX$16.2K

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-76.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$652 MX$11.1K

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-69.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$709 MX$12.0K

$1,082 MX$18.4K

-34.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.4

11.3

0.88%

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

Last update for Cuernavaca: September 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $421 in Cuernavaca and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 53% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $41.00 in Cuernavaca vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $345 per month, with Cuernavaca 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

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

Cuernavaca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 53% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $421 in Cuernavaca versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,076 in Cuernavaca versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuernavaca 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.

Safety-wise, Cuernavaca 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.

Expats usually find Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.