Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dongguan and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Dongguan: $815 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Dongguan
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Dongguan Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

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Dongguan

🇨🇳 China

$815

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dongguan and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dongguan and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $815 in Dongguan versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

Dongguan $815
Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,295 in Dongguan versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

Dongguan $1,295
Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,775 in Dongguan versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

Dongguan $1,775
Mexico City $3,323

Living in Dongguan costs roughly 47% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dongguan is 40% below, Mexico City is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.64 ¥17.64

$11.02 MX$204

-76.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.83 ¥153

$48.68 MX$900

-53.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.75

$10.90 MX$201

-52.29%

Cappuccino

$2.61 ¥17.44

$3.68 MX$68.1

-29.08%

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

$0.48 ¥3.18

$1.63 MX$30.18

-70.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$1.25 MX$23.07

-75.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.90

$3.25 MX$60.1

-72.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ¥14.88

$5.53 MX$102

-59.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ¥10.61

$1.70 MX$31.50

-6.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.93

$3.02 MX$55.8

-46.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.50

$1.92 MX$35.53

-49.48%

Eggs

$1.59 ¥10.66

$2.73 MX$50.5

-41.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.14 ¥141

$11.77 MX$218

79.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 ¥21.96

$9.53 MX$176

-65.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 ¥95.4

$14.41 MX$266

-0.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥15.03

$3.02 MX$55.8

-25.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ¥10.45

$1.89 MX$35.01

-17.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 ¥12.39

$1.99 MX$36.70

-7.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.98

$2.19 MX$40.38

-31.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.95

$1.92 MX$35.43

-45.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.30

$1.87 MX$34.49

-33.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.75

$1.44 MX$26.62

-61.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.90

$1.27 MX$23.39

-54.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ¥29.79

$5.22 MX$96.4

-14.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 ¥81.5

$16.17 MX$299

-24.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.17

$1.90 MX$35.03

-51.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ¥11.74

$4.22 MX$78.0

-58.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ¥2.37

$0.34 MX$6.30

2.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.38 ¥150

$19.65 MX$363

13.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ¥7.86

$2.00 MX$36.90

-41.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.52 MX$9.67

-21.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 ¥29.68

$5.34 MX$98.7

-16.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.77

$1.52 MX$28.13

-13.82%

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

$19.3K ¥129.0K

$22.1K MX$408.0K

-12.58%

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

$17.6K ¥117.9K

$24.5K MX$452.9K

-28.03%

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

$63.1 ¥422

$61.1 MX$1,129

3.24%

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

$9.11 ¥60.9

$28.58 MX$528

-68.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.96 ¥86.7

$34.47 MX$637

-62.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ¥345

$56.4 MX$1,042

-8.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.09 ¥108

$24.88 MX$460

-35.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.53 ¥50.3

$6.66 MX$123

13.06%

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

$531 ¥3,550

$427 MX$7,891

24.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥162.8K

$11.6K MX$215.0K

109.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.78 ¥313

$67.8 MX$1,253

-31.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.30 ¥269

$52.0 MX$960

-22.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.5 ¥485

$106 MX$1,959

-31.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.04 ¥261

$113 MX$2,080

-65.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 ¥2,538

$1,025 MX$18.9K

-62.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$219 ¥1,461

$654 MX$12.1K

-66.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 ¥4,423

$2,308 MX$42.7K

-71.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 ¥2,884

$1,242 MX$22.9K

-65.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,650 ¥37.8K

$3,613 MX$66.8K

56.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,075 ¥20.6K

$1,936 MX$35.8K

58.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$856 ¥5,725

$964 MX$17.8K

-11.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

11.3

-70.35%

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

Last update for Dongguan: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Dongguan

$248 30.4%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 28.3% $70

Accommodation & Living

Dongguan

$219 26.8%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 199% $436

Clothing & Footwear

Dongguan

$89 11%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 70.3% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dongguan

$85 10.5%

Mexico City

$124 8% 45.8% $39

Eating Out

Dongguan

$80 9.8%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 155% $124

Sport & Entertainment

Dongguan

$67 8.2%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 4.5% $3

Getting Around

Dongguan

$27 3.3%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 5.2% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $380 in Dongguan and $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 13% 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: $23.00 in Dongguan vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $318 per month, with Dongguan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Dongguan

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

21:24 9:24 PM

07:24 7:24 AM

14 h behind Dongguan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,254,100

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dongguan Mexico City 14,100 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Dongguan
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Dongguan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 13% 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: $380 in Dongguan versus $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dongguan runs roughly 14% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $531 in Dongguan versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $815 in Dongguan versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dongguan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Dongguan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dongguan 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.

Expats usually find Dongguan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.