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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,016 in Djibouti versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,268 in Djibouti versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,520 in Djibouti versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Djibouti is roughly 37% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Djibouti 50% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.81 DJF 1,744

$13.18 MX$228

-25.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.3 DJF 14.6K

$53.9 MX$932

52.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.80 DJF 2,275

$9.42 MX$163

35.88%

Cappuccino

$3.59 DJF 638

$3.55 MX$61.4

1.13%

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

$1.92 DJF 340

$1.62 MX$27.98

18.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 DJF 341

$1.11 MX$19.27

72.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.47 DJF 973

$3.12 MX$54.0

75.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.54 DJF 1,519

$4.63 MX$80.1

84.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 DJF 443

$1.70 MX$29.43

46.47%

White Bread (500g)

$9.21 DJF 1,637

$2.72 MX$47.02

238.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 DJF 681

$1.91 MX$33.07

100.52%

Eggs

$7.04 DJF 1,252

$2.54 MX$43.86

177.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 DJF 1,706

$10.03 MX$174

-4.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.08 DJF 3,214

$8.09 MX$140

123.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.26 DJF 2,179

$11.62 MX$201

5.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 DJF 660

$2.97 MX$51.3

24.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 DJF 212

$1.81 MX$31.24

-34.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 DJF 514

$2.01 MX$34.82

43.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 DJF 291

$2.03 MX$35.20

-19.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 DJF 213

$2.12 MX$36.75

-43.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 DJF 242

$2.27 MX$39.25

-40.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.67 DJF 1,009

$1.40 MX$24.22

305.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 DJF 97.4

$1.13 MX$19.55

-51.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 DJF 478

$4.27 MX$73.9

-37.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.69 DJF 3,678

$15.56 MX$269

32.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 DJF 421

$1.76 MX$30.39

34.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 DJF 645

$3.60 MX$62.2

0.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 DJF 51.8

$0.38 MX$6.62

-23.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.90 DJF 3,715

$19.18 MX$332

8.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 DJF 495

$1.38 MX$23.79

101.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.45 DJF 968

$0.28 MX$4.78

1846.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.01 DJF 4,978

$5.45 MX$94.2

413.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 DJF 301

$1.30 MX$22.55

30.00%

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

$33.7K DJF 6.0M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

80.26%

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

$33.1K DJF 5.9M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

42.94%

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

$513 DJF 91.1K

$40.86 MX$707

1154.82%

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

$32.11 DJF 5,709

$26.81 MX$464

19.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 DJF 10.3K

$29.96 MX$518

93.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.9 DJF 15.3K

$52.0 MX$900

65.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.60 DJF 4,196

$26.84 MX$464

-12.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.52 DJF 1,514

$6.30 MX$109

35.24%

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

$339 DJF 60.2K

$436 MX$7,544

-22.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,920 DJF 1.6M

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-14.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.83 DJF 7,614

$56.7 MX$980

-24.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.47 DJF 3,462

$44.38 MX$768

-56.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 DJF 21.8K

$103 MX$1,780

18.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 DJF 9,872

$106 MX$1,825

-47.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 DJF 256.1K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

40.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$475 DJF 84.4K

$631 MX$10.9K

-24.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 DJF 173.5K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-54.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 DJF 266.6K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

20.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K DJF 2.2M

$3,903 MX$67.5K

217.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,092 DJF 1.1M

$2,064 MX$35.7K

195.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,814 DJF 500.2K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

152.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.6

11.34

-15.34%

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

Last update for Djibouti: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,440 in Djibouti and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Djibouti pays 152% 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: $82.0 in Djibouti vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $288 per month, with Mexico City 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

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

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Djibouti. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Djibouti pays 152% more on average, 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: $1,440 in Djibouti versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 9% less than in Djibouti. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $339 in Djibouti versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,016 in Djibouti, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Djibouti. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,467 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Djibouti. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.