Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elmina and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Elmina: $668 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Elmina
🇬🇭 Ghana
$668
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,567
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $668 per month in Elmina vs $1,567 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Elmina $668
  • Mexico City $1,567

A couple spends around $1,125 per month in Elmina vs $2,450 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Elmina $1,125
  • Mexico City $2,450

A family of three spends $1,582 per month in Elmina vs $3,333 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Elmina $1,582
  • Mexico City $3,333

Elmina is about 57% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Elmina sits 51% below the global median, while Mexico City is 16% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Elmina
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.82 GHS 91.0
$10.75 MX$199
-27.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.8 GHS 591
$50.3 MX$929
1.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.26 GHS 119
$11.10 MX$205
-7.57%
Cappuccino
$4.46 GHS 51.9
$3.68 MX$68.1
21.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 GHS 17.85
$1.65 MX$30.42
-7.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.44 GHS 5.12
$1.30 MX$24.08
-66.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.81 GHS 21.03
$3.32 MX$61.3
-45.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 GHS 25.19
$5.54 MX$102
-60.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Elmina
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.67 GHS 42.68
$1.77 MX$32.68
107.34%
White Bread (500g)
$1.67 GHS 19.37
$3.05 MX$56.4
-45.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.06 GHS 35.63
$2.01 MX$37.20
52.24%
Eggs
$2.68 GHS 31.21
$2.77 MX$51.1
-3.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.03 GHS 140
$11.91 MX$220
1.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.08 GHS 82.3
$9.33 MX$172
-24.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.62 GHS 112
$15.02 MX$278
-35.95%
Apples (1kg)
$3.61 GHS 41.93
$3.08 MX$56.8
17.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 GHS 16.32
$1.95 MX$35.97
-28.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.77 GHS 20.58
$2.03 MX$37.54
-12.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.56 GHS 41.44
$2.21 MX$40.92
61.09%
Potato (1kg)
$2.69 GHS 31.29
$2.02 MX$37.41
33.17%
Onion (1kg)
$2.65 GHS 30.82
$1.82 MX$33.67
45.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.72 GHS 8.34
$1.52 MX$28.07
-52.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 GHS 7.02
$1.28 MX$23.65
-53.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.51 GHS 29.19
$5.27 MX$97.4
-52.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.06 GHS 82.1
$16.12 MX$298
-56.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 GHS 14.10
$1.95 MX$36.05
-37.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 GHS 27.14
$4.25 MX$78.6
-45.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Elmina
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.31 MX$5.82
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$19.85 MX$367
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.74 GHS 20.29
$2.00 MX$36.93
-13.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.26 GHS 14.65
$0.53 MX$9.86
137.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.30 GHS 50.0
$5.62 MX$104
-23.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 GHS 15.58
$1.52 MX$28.07
-11.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$7,913 GHS 92.0K
$21.0K MX$388.7K
-62.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$9,662 GHS 112.4K
$25.2K MX$465.3K
-61.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Elmina
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$73.7 GHS 857
$62.5 MX$1,155
17.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.07 GHS 222
$28.77 MX$532
-33.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.25 GHS 491
$34.45 MX$637
22.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Elmina
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$57.1 MX$1,055
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$24.81 MX$458
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.66 GHS 147
$6.67 MX$123
89.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Elmina
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$470 GHS 5,464
$431 MX$7,964
9.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.6K GHS 216.6K
$11.7K MX$216.9K
58.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Elmina
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$14.18 GHS 165
$70.8 MX$1,308
-79.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.59 GHS 216
$51.8 MX$958
-64.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$36.74 GHS 427
$109 MX$2,011
-66.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$52.0 GHS 605
$112 MX$2,076
-53.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Elmina
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,051 MX$19.4K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$665 MX$12.3K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,346 MX$43.3K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,227 MX$22.7K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,554 MX$65.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,977 MX$36.5K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Elmina
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$975 MX$18.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
26.75
11.3
136.73%

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

Last update for Elmina: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Elmina
$276
Mexico City
$323 16.8% $46
Eating Out
Elmina
$168
Mexico City
$203 20.7% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Elmina
$135
Mexico City
$126 6.9% $9.3
Clothing & Footwear
Elmina
$55
Mexico City
$155 183% $100
Sport & Entertainment
Elmina
$25 *
Mexico City
$70 178% $45
Getting Around
Elmina
$8 *
Mexico City
$26 221% $18
Accommodation & Living
Elmina
- *
Mexico City
$665

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Elmina versus $50.0 in Mexico City. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Elmina vs $323 in Mexico City – so Elmina wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇭 Elmina
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
11:36 11:36 AM
05:36 5:36 AM
6 h behind Elmina
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
34,403
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to GHS – Ghanaian Cedi Converter

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 11.63 GHS (100 GHS = 8.6 USD). 1 EUR = 13.07 GHS (100 GHS = 7.65 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Elmina Mexico City 10,630 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Elmina
  • 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
Elmina vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mexico City cheaper than Elmina?
Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 135%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,001 per month in Elmina and $2,351 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Elmina or in Mexico City?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Elmina and $50.0 in Mexico City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Elmina and in Mexico City?
Groceries cost about 17% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Elmina or in Mexico City?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Elmina, where all-in costs run around $668, than in Mexico City at $1,567. In Elmina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Elmina or Mexico City more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Elmina – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Elmina. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Elmina vs other spots: cost of living compared

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