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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,102 per month in Essen vs $1,646 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,247 per month in Essen vs $2,613 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,391 per month in Essen vs $3,580 in Mexico City, rent included.

Essen costs about 28% more than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Essen and Mexico City sit above the global median – Essen by 53%, Mexico City by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.51 €17.69

$12.11 MX$206

69.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.6 €81.6

$52.2 MX$887

81.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.81 €11.91

$10.90 MX$185

26.70%

Cappuccino

$4.15 €3.58

$4.05 MX$68.9

2.47%

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

$3.45 €2.98

$1.72 MX$29.15

100.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.38 MX$23.41

115.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.83 €5.89

$3.47 MX$58.9

96.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.03

$5.81 MX$98.8

0.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.85 MX$31.50

-25.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €1.96

$3.22 MX$54.8

-29.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.42 €2.95

$2.09 MX$35.44

63.64%

Eggs

$3.80 €3.28

$2.91 MX$49.44

30.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.31 €14.93

$12.49 MX$212

38.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.87 €9.37

$10.11 MX$172

7.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.29 €21.81

$15.89 MX$270

59.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 €2.87

$3.31 MX$56.3

0.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.85

$2.13 MX$36.14

0.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.19 MX$37.22

1.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 €3.59

$2.45 MX$41.59

69.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 €1.22

$2.19 MX$37.20

-35.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.90 MX$32.37

-28.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.62 MX$27.45

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.35 MX$22.94

-5.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.94 €8.57

$5.43 MX$92.2

83.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.86 €5.05

$17.59 MX$299

-66.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.98

$2.07 MX$35.14

-45.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.36

$4.75 MX$80.7

-66.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.14 €3.57

$0.34 MX$5.78

1117.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 €58.0

$21.58 MX$367

211.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 €4.28

$2.04 MX$34.67

143.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 €3.04

$0.58 MX$9.82

506.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.94 €34.45

$5.97 MX$101

569.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.62 MX$27.46

39.51%

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

$34.3K €29.6K

$22.8K MX$387.6K

50.20%

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

$39.7K €34.3K

$26.7K MX$453.1K

48.94%

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

$407 €351

$65.2 MX$1,109

523.79%

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

$40.28 €34.74

$29.87 MX$508

34.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.65 €36.78

$36.55 MX$621

16.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.93 €36.17

$61.0 MX$1,037

-31.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.63 €33.32

$26.70 MX$454

44.68%

Cinema Ticket

$15.77 €13.60

$6.85 MX$116

130.22%

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

$477 €412

$453 MX$7,705

5.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,856 €8,501

$13.4K MX$227.2K

-26.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.1 €85.5

$75.0 MX$1,274

32.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.0 €75.9

$55.3 MX$940

59.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €98.3

$114 MX$1,931

0.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 €138

$123 MX$2,084

30.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$669 €577

$1,134 MX$19.3K

-40.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 €441

$712 MX$12.1K

-28.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 €1,263

$2,571 MX$43.7K

-43.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 €856

$1,311 MX$22.3K

-24.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,871 €4,201

$3,993 MX$67.8K

22.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,112 €2,684

$2,095 MX$35.6K

48.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,191 €2,753

$1,047 MX$17.8K

204.85%

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 Essen: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $669 in Essen versus $1,134 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 205% higher in Essen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95.0 in Essen versus $52.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $345 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,102 in Essen, $1,646 in Mexico City – roughly 28% apart. Essen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,153 per month in Essen and $2,469 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 212% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $477 per month in Essen and $453 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,646, than in Essen at $2,102. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Essen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,646 in Mexico City to $2,102 in Essen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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