Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iquitos and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $656 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$656

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $656 per month in Iquitos vs $1,674 in Mexico City, rent included.

Iquitos $656
Mexico City $1,674

A couple spends around $1,177 per month in Iquitos vs $2,606 in Mexico City, rent included.

Iquitos $1,177
Mexico City $2,606

A family of three spends $1,697 per month in Iquitos vs $3,537 in Mexico City, rent included.

Iquitos $1,697
Mexico City $3,537

Iquitos is about 61% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Iquitos sits 52% below the global median, while Mexico City is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.23 PEN 14.56

$10.59 MX$199

-60.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.33 PEN 128

$52.0 MX$976

-28.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 PEN 24.34

$10.73 MX$201

-34.11%

Cappuccino

$3.41 PEN 11.75

$3.80 MX$71.3

-10.26%

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

$0.83 PEN 2.85

$1.61 MX$30.28

-48.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 PEN 2.05

$1.21 MX$22.76

-51.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 PEN 10.06

$3.18 MX$59.7

-8.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 PEN 24.74

$5.44 MX$102

32.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 PEN 5.82

$1.72 MX$32.26

-1.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 PEN 7.78

$2.97 MX$55.7

-23.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$36.17

Eggs

$2.60 PEN 8.95

$2.77 MX$52.1

-6.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$219

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 PEN 11.03

$9.48 MX$178

-66.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$289

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$58.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.82

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$37.22

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.86

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.00

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.26

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$29.00

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$1.31 MX$24.64

-30.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$100

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$304

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.72

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$366

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$36.01

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$102

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.86

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

$21.4K MX$401.4K

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

$23.8K MX$446.1K

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

$35.08 PEN 121

$62.0 MX$1,164

-43.41%

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

$11.15 PEN 38.36

$28.47 MX$535

-60.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.58 PEN 29.54

$34.11 MX$641

-74.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.56 PEN 102

$58.4 MX$1,097

-49.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.89 PEN 30.60

$24.50 MX$460

-63.71%

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 PEN 19.37

$6.59 MX$124

-14.57%

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

$434 MX$8,155

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,760 PEN 9,499

$14.0K MX$263.6K

-80.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 PEN 301

$68.4 MX$1,284

27.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.33 PEN 118

$54.8 MX$1,029

-37.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.4 PEN 180

$111 MX$2,082

-52.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.33 PEN 90.6

$116 MX$2,178

-77.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 PEN 1,195

$1,179 MX$22.1K

-70.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 PEN 902

$771 MX$14.5K

-65.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 PEN 2,952

$2,570 MX$48.3K

-66.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 PEN 2,471

$1,420 MX$26.7K

-49.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$580 PEN 1,994

$1,003 MX$18.8K

-42.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Iquitos: October 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Iquitos

–

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Groceries & Markets

Iquitos

–

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Eating Out

Iquitos

–

Mexico City

$201 12%

Clothing & Footwear

Iquitos

–

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iquitos

–

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Sport & Entertainment

Iquitos

–

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Getting Around

Iquitos

–

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $347 in Iquitos versus $1,179 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 73% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Iquitos versus $52 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $77 vs $324 – making Iquitos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

21:59 9:59 PM

1 h behind Iquitos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,853

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.08 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Iquitos Mexico City 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Iquitos
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

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

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 155%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $983 per month in Iquitos and $2,510 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iquitos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $347 there versus $1,179 in Mexico City.

Groceries cost about 321% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Iquitos and $52 in Mexico City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Iquitos, where all-in costs run around $656, than in Mexico City at $1,674. In Iquitos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $656 in Iquitos to $1,674 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Iquitos. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.