Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ecatepec and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Ecatepec: $941 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Ecatepec
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Ecatepec Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Ecatepec

🇲🇽 Mexico

$941

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ecatepec 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 Ecatepec and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $941 per month in Ecatepec vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

Ecatepec $941
Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $1,634 per month in Ecatepec vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

Ecatepec $1,634
Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $2,327 per month in Ecatepec vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

Ecatepec $2,327
Mexico City $3,490

Ecatepec is about 41% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Ecatepec sits 31% below the global median, while Mexico City is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$199

$10.62 MX$199

-0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.51 MX$909

$48.35 MX$906

0.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 MX$180

$10.35 MX$194

-6.96%

Cappuccino

$3.48 MX$65.2

$3.69 MX$69.2

-5.69%

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

$1.57 MX$29.34

$1.67 MX$31.23

-5.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$19.14

$1.27 MX$23.71

-19.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$102

$5.31 MX$99.5

2.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 MX$33.35

$1.72 MX$32.32

3.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 MX$50.5

$3.04 MX$57.0

-11.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 MX$36.90

$1.94 MX$36.38

1.55%

Eggs

$2.70 MX$50.5

$2.89 MX$54.1

-6.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.95 MX$168

$10.97 MX$206

-18.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$169

$9.25 MX$173

-2.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 MX$247

$15.13 MX$283

-12.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 MX$59.7

$3.05 MX$57.1

4.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 MX$29.76

$1.94 MX$36.38

-18.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 MX$37.01

$2.03 MX$37.95

-2.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.62

$2.31 MX$43.38

-17.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 MX$33.92

$2.04 MX$38.14

-11.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 MX$32.21

$1.80 MX$33.73

-4.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$27.24

$1.48 MX$27.72

-2.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.89

$1.27 MX$23.75

-3.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.52 MX$84.8

$5.30 MX$99.4

-14.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.00 MX$300

$16.10 MX$302

-0.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$36.40

$1.98 MX$37.16

-2.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 MX$71.9

$4.25 MX$79.7

-9.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MX$12.70

$0.31 MX$5.72

119.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.56 MX$573

$19.73 MX$370

54.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$36.05

$1.84 MX$34.44

4.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 MX$9.15

$0.53 MX$10.00

-7.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$103

$5.30 MX$99.2

3.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$26.80

$1.51 MX$28.31

-5.30%

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

$21.3K MX$399.4K

$21.8K MX$407.7K

-2.02%

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

$23.2K MX$434.2K

$24.0K MX$449.5K

-3.39%

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

$56.3 MX$1,054

$63.0 MX$1,180

-10.65%

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

$26.84 MX$503

$27.39 MX$513

-2.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.91 MX$448

$35.67 MX$668

-32.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.75 MX$483

$58.9 MX$1,105

-56.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.64 MX$199

$23.64 MX$443

-54.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.48 MX$121

$6.40 MX$120

1.25%

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

$265 MX$4,969

$432 MX$8,088

-38.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,979 MX$93.3K

$11.4K MX$214.1K

-56.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 MX$1,090

$68.2 MX$1,278

-14.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.37 MX$831

$53.1 MX$996

-16.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 MX$1,859

$108 MX$2,020

-7.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.3 MX$1,804

$117 MX$2,198

-17.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$239 MX$4,479

$1,113 MX$20.9K

-78.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$134 MX$2,514

$710 MX$13.3K

-81.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.5K

$2,588 MX$48.5K

-74.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 MX$8,060

$1,406 MX$26.3K

-69.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$768 MX$14.4K

$3,631 MX$68.0K

-78.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$751 MX$14.1K

$2,135 MX$40.0K

-64.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 MX$10.3K

$946 MX$17.7K

-42.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Ecatepec: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ecatepec

$296 31.5%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 7.8% $23

Eating Out

Ecatepec

$193 20.5%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 3.1% $6

Clothing & Footwear

Ecatepec

$134 14.3%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 16.2% $22

Accommodation & Living

Ecatepec

$134 14.3%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 430% $576

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ecatepec

$107 11.4%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 17.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Ecatepec

$39 4.1%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 85.3% $33

Getting Around

Ecatepec

$38 4%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 32.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $239 in Ecatepec versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 73% higher in Mexico City. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Ecatepec versus $48 in Mexico City. Groceries tell a different story – $296 in Ecatepec vs $320 in Mexico City – so Ecatepec wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Ecatepec

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

16:51 4:51 PM

Same time as Ecatepec

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,645,352

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Ecatepec Mexico City 21 km

From you

Ecatepec
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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $941 in Ecatepec, $1,608 in Mexico City – Ecatepec comes out roughly 41% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,411 per month in Ecatepec and $2,412 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ecatepec, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $239 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Public transport costs about 35% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Ecatepec, where all-in costs run around $941, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Ecatepec it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ecatepec – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ecatepec. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.