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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,868 in Dessau versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,979 in Dessau versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,090 in Dessau versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Dessau is roughly 13% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dessau 37% above, Mexico City 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.60 €15.34

$11.92 MX$206

47.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.6 €75.5

$51.6 MX$890

67.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.76 €13.74

$11.41 MX$197

38.12%

Cappuccino

$4.51 €3.93

$3.99 MX$68.9

13.03%

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

$2.89 €2.52

$1.66 MX$28.61

74.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 €3.76

$1.33 MX$22.87

224.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 €4.60

$3.47 MX$59.9

51.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 €5.02

$5.90 MX$102

-2.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.26

$1.88 MX$32.36

-23.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.25 MX$56.1

-36.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.05 €3.53

$2.16 MX$37.26

87.50%

Eggs

$3.64 €3.17

$2.90 MX$49.94

25.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.26 €8.94

$12.86 MX$222

-20.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.11 €10.55

$10.05 MX$173

20.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.23 €19.38

$15.86 MX$273

40.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 €2.93

$3.29 MX$56.8

2.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.84

$2.01 MX$34.60

4.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$2.20 MX$37.93

2.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 €3.23

$2.36 MX$40.63

56.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 €1.09

$2.05 MX$35.43

-39.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 €1.01

$1.90 MX$32.79

-38.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.61 MX$27.68

7.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.40 MX$24.09

-9.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.79 €8.54

$5.46 MX$94.2

79.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.03 €6.13

$17.65 MX$304

-60.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.02

$2.06 MX$35.44

-43.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$4.68 MX$80.8

-62.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 €2.30

$0.34 MX$5.84

676.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.8 €57.4

$20.81 MX$359

216.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 €4.43

$2.10 MX$36.15

142.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 €2.18

$0.56 MX$9.64

346.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.09 €30.59

$5.81 MX$100

503.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.61 MX$27.68

25.47%

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

$33.7K €29.3K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

47.36%

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

$39.1K €34.1K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

46.31%

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

$294 €257

$65.2 MX$1,124

351.61%

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

$26.89 €23.44

$30.09 MX$519

-10.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 €45.61

$37.18 MX$641

40.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.2 €63.8

$59.8 MX$1,030

22.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.22 €20.24

$26.55 MX$458

-12.54%

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 €11.00

$7.04 MX$121

79.26%

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

$318 €278

$465 MX$8,012

-31.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 €66.5

$75.9 MX$1,308

0.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.00 €41.84

$56.0 MX$965

-14.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 €121

$112 MX$1,929

24.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$179 €156

$121 MX$2,078

48.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 €410

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-57.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 €387

$721 MX$12.4K

-38.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 €650

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-70.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 €891

$1,293 MX$22.3K

-21.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,484 €3,037

$3,991 MX$68.8K

-12.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,842 €1,606

$2,090 MX$36.0K

-11.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,217 €1,933

$1,037 MX$17.9K

113.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

11.3

-65.04%

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

Last update for Dessau: September 15, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $471 in Dessau and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dessau pays 114% 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: $87.0 in Dessau vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $345, with Dessau cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 114% higher in Dessau, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $471 in Dessau versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Dessau pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $87.0 in Dessau. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,868 in Dessau, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Dessau. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dessau, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dessau 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Dessau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.