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: $1,178 in Ibaraki versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,848 in Ibaraki versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,518 in Ibaraki versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Ibaraki costs roughly 29% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ibaraki is 14% below, Mexico City is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.63 ¥1,034

$11.92 MX$206

-44.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.89 ¥4,975

$51.6 MX$890

-38.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.30 ¥827

$11.41 MX$197

-53.55%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ¥488

$3.99 MX$68.9

-21.55%

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

$1.16 ¥181

$1.66 MX$28.61

-30.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥119

$1.33 MX$22.87

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ¥395

$3.47 MX$59.9

-27.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 ¥502

$5.90 MX$102

-45.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.80 ¥437

$1.88 MX$32.36

48.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥242

$3.25 MX$56.1

-52.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 ¥678

$2.16 MX$37.26

100.93%

Eggs

$2.10 ¥328

$2.90 MX$49.94

-27.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 ¥1,746

$12.86 MX$222

-12.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ¥1,033

$10.05 MX$173

-34.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 ¥2,711

$15.86 MX$273

9.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 ¥765

$3.29 MX$56.8

48.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 ¥366

$2.01 MX$34.60

16.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ¥495

$2.20 MX$37.93

44.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 ¥675

$2.36 MX$40.63

83.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 ¥394

$2.05 MX$35.43

23.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 ¥378

$1.90 MX$32.79

27.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥200

$1.61 MX$27.68

-20.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥127

$1.40 MX$24.09

-42.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥590

$5.46 MX$94.2

-30.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 ¥1,177

$17.65 MX$304

-57.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ¥287

$2.06 MX$35.44

-10.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥345

$4.68 MX$80.8

-52.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 ¥258

$0.34 MX$5.84

388.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.7 ¥9,159

$20.81 MX$359

182.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.80 ¥749

$2.10 MX$36.15

128.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 ¥444

$0.56 MX$9.64

408.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.73 ¥3,079

$5.81 MX$100

239.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥182

$1.61 MX$27.68

-27.33%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$22.8K MX$393.8K

-2.25%

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

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$26.8K MX$461.2K

-42.49%

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

$134 ¥20.8K

$65.2 MX$1,124

104.82%

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

$24.24 ¥3,783

$30.09 MX$519

-19.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.64 ¥4,936

$37.18 MX$641

-14.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ¥8,121

$59.8 MX$1,030

-12.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 ¥1,863

$7.04 MX$121

69.60%

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

$552 ¥86.1K

$465 MX$8,012

18.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K ¥2.2M

$13.3K MX$228.9K

5.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.82 ¥4,185

$75.9 MX$1,308

-64.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.01 ¥5,150

$56.0 MX$965

-41.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.7 ¥10.6K

$112 MX$1,929

-39.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 ¥12.6K

$121 MX$2,078

-33.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 ¥63.3K

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-63.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 ¥41.4K

$721 MX$12.4K

-63.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 ¥161.3K

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-59.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥84.4K

$1,293 MX$22.3K

-58.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,081 ¥636.8K

$3,991 MX$68.8K

2.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 ¥317.3K

$2,090 MX$36.0K

-2.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,572 ¥401.2K

$1,037 MX$17.9K

147.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

11.3

-81.50%

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

Last update for Ibaraki: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Ibaraki and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibaraki pays 148% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ibaraki vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $345 per month, with Ibaraki 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

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

Ibaraki and Mexico City differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,178 vs $1,660 including rent). Ibaraki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 148% higher in Ibaraki, 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: $405 in Ibaraki versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibaraki – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,178 in Ibaraki versus $1,660 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 41% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.