Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grecia and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Grecia: $1,506 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Grecia, Costa Rica
Mexico City, Mexico
Grecia
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,506
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,506 in Grecia versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

  • Grecia $1,506
  • Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,101 in Grecia versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

  • Grecia $2,101
  • Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,696 in Grecia versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

  • Grecia $2,696
  • Mexico City $3,490

Living in Grecia costs roughly 6% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Grecia 11% above, Mexico City 18% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Grecia
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.27 ₡4,632
$10.62 MX$198
-3.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.5 ₡24.2K
$48.35 MX$901
10.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.68 ₡5,270
$10.35 MX$193
12.85%
Cappuccino
$3.22 ₡1,451
$3.69 MX$68.8
-12.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 ₡814
$1.67 MX$31.07
7.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 ₡841
$1.27 MX$23.59
46.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.62 ₡1,183
$3.19 MX$59.5
-17.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,310
$5.31 MX$98.9
-45.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Grecia
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.03 ₡918
$1.72 MX$32.15
18.02%
White Bread (500g)
$1.13 ₡509
$3.04 MX$56.7
-62.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 ₡1,122
$1.94 MX$36.19
28.35%
Eggs
$3.55 ₡1,601
$2.89 MX$53.8
22.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.50 ₡3,382
$10.97 MX$205
-31.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.51 ₡2,938
$9.25 MX$172
-29.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.26 ₡6,434
$15.13 MX$282
-5.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.48 ₡1,121
$3.05 MX$56.8
-18.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 ₡718
$1.94 MX$36.19
-18.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.35 ₡611
$2.03 MX$37.75
-33.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.72 ₡774
$2.31 MX$43.15
-25.54%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 ₡803
$2.04 MX$37.94
-12.75%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 ₡708
$1.80 MX$33.55
-12.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.96 ₡432
$1.48 MX$27.58
-35.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 ₡1,001
$1.27 MX$23.63
74.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.03 ₡2,723
$5.30 MX$98.9
13.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.47 ₡5,628
$16.10 MX$300
-22.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.12 ₡955
$1.98 MX$36.97
7.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56 ₡702
$4.25 MX$79.3
-63.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Grecia
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.84 ₡829
$0.31 MX$5.69
493.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$19.73 MX$368
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.02 ₡913
$1.84 MX$34.25
9.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡707
$0.53 MX$9.94
196.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.48 ₡3,827
$5.30 MX$98.7
60.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.59 ₡715
$1.51 MX$28.16
5.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K ₡15.5M
$21.8K MX$405.5K
57.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.3K ₡18.6M
$24.0K MX$447.1K
72.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Grecia
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$86.2 ₡38.9K
$63.0 MX$1,174
36.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.86 ₡12.1K
$27.39 MX$511
-1.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.1 ₡26.6K
$35.67 MX$665
65.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Grecia
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.2 ₡22.6K
$58.9 MX$1,099
-14.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.97 ₡5,399
$23.64 MX$441
-49.37%
Cinema Ticket
$7.56 ₡3,414
$6.40 MX$119
18.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Grecia
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$985 ₡444.4K
$432 MX$8,045
128.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.5K ₡7.9M
$11.4K MX$212.9K
52.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Grecia
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.3 ₡31.7K
$68.2 MX$1,272
2.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.2 ₡24.9K
$53.1 MX$990
3.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 ₡57.7K
$108 MX$2,009
18.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$134 ₡60.6K
$117 MX$2,186
14.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Grecia
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$442 ₡199.3K
$1,113 MX$20.8K
-60.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$621 ₡280.2K
$710 MX$13.2K
-12.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$772 ₡348.3K
$2,588 MX$48.2K
-70.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$678 ₡306.1K
$1,406 MX$26.2K
-51.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,631 MX$67.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,135 MX$39.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Grecia
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$660 ₡297.7K
$946 MX$17.6K
-30.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
11.35
-24.05%

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

Last update for Grecia: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Grecia
$621
Mexico City
$710 14.4% $90
Groceries & Markets
Grecia
$267
Mexico City
$320 19.6% $52
Eating Out
Grecia
$189
Mexico City
$199 4.9% $9.3
Clothing & Footwear
Grecia
$174
Mexico City
$156 10.6% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Grecia
$172
Mexico City
$126 26.8% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Grecia
$65
Mexico City
$72 9.8% $6.4
Getting Around
Grecia
$17 *
Mexico City
$25 47.9% $8.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $442 in Grecia and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 43% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $54 in Grecia vs $48 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $320, with Grecia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Grecia
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
20:14 8:14 PM
20:14 8:14 PM
Same time as Grecia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
16,700
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Grecia Mexico City 1,900 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Grecia
  • 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
Grecia vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Grecia or Mexico City?
Grecia wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Grecia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Grecia or in Mexico City?
On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Grecia. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Grecia compared to Mexico City?
Rent for a central apartment: $442 in Grecia versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Grecia and in Mexico City?
Childcare runs $985 in Grecia versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Grecia and in Mexico City?
Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $48 versus $54 in Grecia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Grecia or in Mexico City?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Grecia is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Grecia or Mexico City?
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.
Should I move to Grecia or to Mexico City?
It comes down to priorities – Grecia wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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