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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,186 in Ibaraki versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,862 in Ibaraki versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,537 in Ibaraki versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Ibaraki costs roughly 18% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ibaraki is 12% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.09 ¥1,134

$12.98 MX$223

-45.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.80 ¥5,566

$52.6 MX$903

-33.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥839

$9.43 MX$162

-44.33%

Cappuccino

$3.17 ¥507

$3.57 MX$61.3

-11.20%

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

$1.05 ¥168

$1.61 MX$27.55

-34.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥123

$1.15 MX$19.81

-33.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ¥414

$3.15 MX$54.0

-17.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ¥512

$4.86 MX$83.4

-34.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 ¥374

$1.70 MX$29.17

37.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥257

$2.64 MX$45.23

-39.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 ¥546

$1.90 MX$32.67

79.47%

Eggs

$2.30 ¥368

$2.54 MX$43.62

-9.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ¥1,632

$10.08 MX$173

1.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 ¥1,026

$8.29 MX$142

-22.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 ¥2,446

$11.57 MX$199

32.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.29 ¥846

$3.03 MX$52.0

74.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 ¥403

$1.71 MX$29.35

47.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 ¥657

$2.05 MX$35.16

100.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 ¥961

$2.06 MX$35.36

191.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 ¥483

$2.06 MX$35.43

46.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 ¥431

$2.17 MX$37.25

24.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ¥215

$1.40 MX$24.08

-4.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥125

$1.12 MX$19.26

-30.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ¥670

$4.29 MX$73.7

-2.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 ¥1,330

$15.41 MX$265

-46.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 ¥418

$1.67 MX$28.74

56.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ¥349

$3.69 MX$63.3

-40.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 ¥294

$0.38 MX$6.55

384.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.1 ¥8,973

$19.06 MX$327

194.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.23 ¥836

$1.38 MX$23.70

278.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 ¥468

$0.28 MX$4.74

946.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.68 ¥3,308

$5.42 MX$92.9

281.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥199

$1.28 MX$21.98

-2.34%

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

$23.4K ¥3.7M

$19.0K MX$325.8K

23.31%

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

$17.1K ¥2.7M

$23.5K MX$402.7K

-27.22%

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

$145 ¥23.3K

$41.02 MX$704

254.46%

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

$26.69 ¥4,268

$26.92 MX$462

-0.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.05 ¥5,446

$29.69 MX$510

14.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 ¥9,069

$52.3 MX$898

8.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.89 ¥2,221

$26.23 MX$450

-47.05%

Cinema Ticket

$12.36 ¥1,976

$6.18 MX$106

100.00%

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

$279 ¥44.7K

$427 MX$7,331

-34.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$10.7K MX$183.6K

23.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.50 ¥4,718

$56.8 MX$975

-48.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.65 ¥4,742

$44.83 MX$769

-33.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 ¥11.5K

$105 MX$1,794

-31.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ¥13.8K

$106 MX$1,819

-18.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ¥68.8K

$995 MX$17.1K

-56.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 ¥45.6K

$621 MX$10.7K

-54.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 ¥137.6K

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-59.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$571 ¥91.4K

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-54.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,080 ¥652.6K

$3,903 MX$67.0K

4.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,478 ¥396.4K

$2,096 MX$36.0K

18.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,548 ¥407.5K

$1,107 MX$19.0K

130.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.78

11.34

-84.30%

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

Last update for Ibaraki: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Ibaraki and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibaraki pays 130% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ibaraki vs $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $288, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Ibaraki and Mexico City differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,186 vs $1,447 including rent). Ibaraki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ibaraki pays 130% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $430 in Ibaraki versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibaraki – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,186 in Ibaraki versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ibaraki but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ibaraki 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, Ibaraki 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 Ibaraki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.