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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $964 in Havana versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,538 in Havana versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,112 in Havana versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Havana costs roughly 34% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Havana is 28% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.71 CUP 89.0

$13.18 MX$228

-71.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.74 CUP 714

$53.9 MX$932

-44.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 CUP 155

$9.42 MX$163

-31.32%

Cappuccino

$1.24 CUP 29.75

$3.55 MX$61.4

-65.07%

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

$2.22 CUP 53.4

$1.62 MX$27.98

37.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 CUP 36.56

$1.11 MX$19.27

36.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 CUP 48.25

$3.12 MX$54.0

-35.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 CUP 59.1

$4.63 MX$80.1

-46.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.36 CUP 80.7

$1.70 MX$29.43

97.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 CUP 25.70

$2.72 MX$47.02

-60.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 CUP 56.4

$1.91 MX$33.07

23.04%

Eggs

$3.56 CUP 85.5

$2.54 MX$43.86

40.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.93 CUP 118

$10.03 MX$174

-50.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.29 CUP 127

$8.09 MX$140

-34.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.56 CUP 229

$11.62 MX$201

-17.73%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 CUP 121

$2.97 MX$51.3

69.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CUP 33.13

$1.81 MX$31.24

-23.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 CUP 58.2

$2.01 MX$34.82

20.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 CUP 40.54

$2.03 MX$35.20

-16.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 CUP 67.4

$2.12 MX$36.75

32.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 CUP 66.5

$2.27 MX$39.25

22.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CUP 24.57

$1.40 MX$24.22

-27.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 CUP 27.35

$1.13 MX$19.55

0.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 CUP 93.6

$4.27 MX$73.9

-8.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.97 CUP 95.3

$15.56 MX$269

-74.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 CUP 50.2

$1.76 MX$30.39

18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 CUP 46.22

$3.60 MX$62.2

-46.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 CUP 30.74

$0.38 MX$6.62

236.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.77 CUP 595

$19.18 MX$332

29.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 CUP 75.0

$1.38 MX$23.79

126.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 CUP 11.53

$0.28 MX$4.78

71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.13 CUP 363

$5.45 MX$94.2

177.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 CUP 30.30

$1.30 MX$22.55

-3.08%

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

$60.5K CUP 1.5M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

223.50%

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

$66.9K CUP 1.6M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

189.15%

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

$37.68 CUP 904

$40.86 MX$707

-7.78%

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

$40.35 CUP 968

$26.81 MX$464

50.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.3 CUP 1,782

$29.96 MX$518

147.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.12 CUP 963

$52.0 MX$900

-22.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.12 CUP 147

$26.84 MX$464

-77.20%

Cinema Ticket

$0.88 CUP 21.16

$6.30 MX$109

-86.03%

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

$114 CUP 2,741

$436 MX$7,544

-73.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K CUP 242.3K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-3.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.14 CUP 963

$56.7 MX$980

-29.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.68 CUP 808

$44.38 MX$768

-24.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 CUP 1,802

$103 MX$1,780

-27.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 CUP 2,027

$106 MX$1,825

-19.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$371 CUP 8,905

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-63.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 CUP 6,982

$631 MX$10.9K

-53.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 CUP 24.3K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-52.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 CUP 14.3K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-52.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$335 CUP 8,037

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-91.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$406 CUP 9,742

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-80.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$33.02 CUP 792

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-97.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

11.34

-34.48%

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

Last update for Havana: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $371 in Havana and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 3277% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Havana vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $288 per month, with Havana cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Havana and Mexico City differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($964 vs $1,467 including rent). Havana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 3277% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $371 in Havana versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Havana – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $964 per month in Havana versus $1,467 in Mexico City – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $964 in Havana versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Havana but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Havana 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.

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