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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Forbes versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,312 in Forbes versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,370 in Forbes versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Forbes is roughly 52% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Forbes 68% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.01 A$22.42

$12.98 MX$227

23.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.3 A$108

$53.1 MX$929

45.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 A$13.37

$9.72 MX$170

-1.75%

Cappuccino

$3.38 A$4.74

$3.75 MX$65.6

-9.87%

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

$2.61 A$3.66

$1.57 MX$27.46

66.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 A$3.04

$1.13 MX$19.76

92.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.52 A$9.13

$3.18 MX$55.7

105.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 A$9.70

$4.66 MX$81.6

48.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 A$1.98

$1.62 MX$28.37

-12.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 A$3.40

$2.71 MX$47.36

-10.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 A$2.77

$1.88 MX$32.89

5.32%

Eggs

$4.36 A$6.10

$2.51 MX$43.90

73.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 A$12.10

$10.08 MX$176

-14.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 A$12.06

$8.29 MX$145

3.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 A$19.24

$11.94 MX$209

15.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.53

$2.86 MX$50.1

13.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.93

$1.75 MX$30.62

60.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.13

$2.08 MX$36.48

41.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.70

$1.97 MX$34.46

106.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.34

$2.16 MX$37.79

10.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.94

$2.18 MX$38.16

-3.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 A$2.95

$1.39 MX$24.34

51.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.14

$1.12 MX$19.69

36.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.13 A$43.59

$4.20 MX$73.5

641.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 A$18.87

$14.25 MX$249

-5.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.48 A$6.27

$1.76 MX$30.85

154.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.32

$3.68 MX$64.5

42.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 A$3.67

$0.39 MX$6.74

571.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 A$89.7

$18.66 MX$327

243.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$4.95

$1.39 MX$24.26

154.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 A$2.15

$0.30 MX$5.32

410.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 A$46.54

$5.42 MX$94.9

513.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.58

$1.35 MX$23.63

-16.30%

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

$28.6K A$40.1K

$18.9K MX$330.5K

51.54%

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

$22.3K A$31.2K

$23.2K MX$405.2K

-3.70%

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

$186 A$260

$40.82 MX$714

355.59%

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

$27.73 A$38.83

$27.50 MX$481

0.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 A$74.5

$30.38 MX$532

75.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.41 A$69.2

$53.4 MX$935

-7.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.48 A$21.68

$26.30 MX$460

-41.14%

Cinema Ticket

$13.18 A$18.45

$6.27 MX$110

110.21%

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

$1,600 A$2,240

$436 MX$7,632

266.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K A$16.6K

$10.5K MX$183.2K

13.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 A$95.0

$56.8 MX$993

19.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$71.7

$44.79 MX$784

14.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 A$137

$103 MX$1,799

-4.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$151

$108 MX$1,888

-0.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 A$1,789

$1,000 MX$17.5K

27.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 A$1,499

$620 MX$10.9K

72.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 A$2,836

$2,137 MX$37.4K

-5.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,680 A$2,352

$1,235 MX$21.6K

36.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,262 A$8,767

$3,865 MX$67.6K

62.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,125 A$7,175

$2,332 MX$40.8K

119.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

11.34

-44.09%

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

Last update for Forbes: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,278 in Forbes and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77.0 in Forbes vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $286 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

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

Forbes and Mexico City differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($2,253 vs $1,484 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,380 in Forbes and $2,225 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,278 in Forbes versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,253 per month in Forbes versus $1,484 in Mexico City – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 243% less than in Forbes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $2,253 in Forbes, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Forbes. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Forbes and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Forbes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.