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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $718 in Datong versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,141 in Datong versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,564 in Datong versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Datong costs roughly 51% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Datong is 46% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 ¥19.25

$13.18 MX$230

-78.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.18 ¥144

$53.9 MX$941

-60.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 ¥32.08

$9.42 MX$165

-49.79%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥20.13

$3.55 MX$62.0

-16.34%

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

$0.46 ¥3.13

$1.62 MX$28.26

-71.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.98

$1.11 MX$19.46

-73.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.96

$3.12 MX$54.5

-71.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ¥14.01

$4.63 MX$80.9

-55.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.60

$1.70 MX$29.72

9.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 ¥10.44

$2.72 MX$47.48

-43.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ¥6.02

$1.91 MX$33.40

-53.40%

Eggs

$1.53 ¥10.39

$2.54 MX$44.30

-39.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.70 ¥86.1

$10.03 MX$175

26.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 ¥21.03

$8.09 MX$141

-61.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ¥70.2

$11.62 MX$203

-10.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.59

$2.97 MX$51.8

-37.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.56

$1.81 MX$31.55

-30.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥10.06

$2.01 MX$35.17

-26.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.45

$2.03 MX$35.54

-45.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.75

$2.12 MX$37.11

-66.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.42

$2.27 MX$39.64

-58.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.12

$1.40 MX$24.46

-56.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.45

$1.13 MX$19.74

-54.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ¥20.94

$4.27 MX$74.6

-27.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.74 ¥72.9

$15.56 MX$272

-30.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.14

$1.76 MX$30.69

-56.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.90

$3.60 MX$62.8

-55.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$0.38 MX$6.69

-23.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.99 ¥115

$19.18 MX$335

-11.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ¥9.18

$1.38 MX$24.03

-2.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.38

$0.28 MX$4.83

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.54 ¥44.39

$5.45 MX$95.2

20.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥8.00

$1.30 MX$22.78

-9.23%

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

$19.4K ¥131.4K

$18.7K MX$326.4K

3.70%

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

$16.9K ¥114.8K

$23.1K MX$404.1K

-26.85%

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

$45.90 ¥311

$40.86 MX$714

12.33%

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

$9.91 ¥67.2

$26.81 MX$468

-63.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.87 ¥80.5

$29.96 MX$523

-60.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.85 ¥284

$52.0 MX$909

-19.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.71 ¥93.0

$26.84 MX$469

-48.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 ¥41.27

$6.30 MX$110

-3.33%

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

$328 ¥2,223

$436 MX$7,619

-24.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ¥114.4K

$10.4K MX$182.0K

61.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.31 ¥301

$56.7 MX$990

-21.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.17 ¥205

$44.38 MX$775

-32.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 ¥490

$103 MX$1,798

-29.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 ¥483

$106 MX$1,843

-32.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 ¥1,907

$1,022 MX$17.9K

-72.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 ¥1,332

$631 MX$11.0K

-68.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$593 ¥4,025

$2,136 MX$37.3K

-72.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ¥2,437

$1,243 MX$21.7K

-71.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,073 ¥20.8K

$3,903 MX$68.2K

-21.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,047 ¥13.9K

$2,064 MX$36.1K

-0.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

11.34

-65.70%

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

Last update for Datong: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Datong and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Datong vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $288 per month, with Datong 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

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

Datong wins on cost – living expenses run 104% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Datong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,077 in Datong and $2,201 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $281 in Datong versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $328 in Datong versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $718 in Datong versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Datong but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Datong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Datong delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $718 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Datong hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Datong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.