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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,221 in Kawagoe versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,977 in Kawagoe versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,733 in Kawagoe versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Kawagoe costs roughly 27% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kawagoe is 11% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.63 ¥1,018

$12.14 MX$206

-45.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.66 ¥6,551

$53.9 MX$914

-20.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 ¥786

$11.09 MX$188

-53.83%

Cappuccino

$3.50 ¥538

$4.10 MX$69.5

-14.63%

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

$0.93 ¥143

$1.68 MX$28.53

-44.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥77.5

$1.39 MX$23.55

-64.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 ¥296

$3.33 MX$56.5

-42.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ¥432

$5.88 MX$99.7

-52.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 ¥183

$1.85 MX$31.41

-35.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ¥198

$3.17 MX$53.8

-59.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 ¥582

$2.07 MX$35.13

83.09%

Eggs

$2.13 ¥327

$2.93 MX$49.67

-27.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.34 ¥974

$12.59 MX$214

-49.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 ¥927

$10.11 MX$172

-40.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 ¥2,273

$16.09 MX$273

-8.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 ¥913

$3.39 MX$57.5

75.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 ¥358

$2.08 MX$35.26

12.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ¥447

$2.12 MX$35.97

37.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ¥495

$2.41 MX$40.95

34.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 ¥417

$2.13 MX$36.11

27.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 ¥295

$2.01 MX$34.02

-4.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ¥195

$1.55 MX$26.21

-18.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥118

$1.36 MX$23.15

-43.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ¥612

$5.77 MX$97.8

-30.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.89 ¥751

$17.74 MX$301

-72.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ¥285

$2.07 MX$35.11

-10.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ¥321

$4.61 MX$78.3

-54.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 ¥474

$0.37 MX$6.21

735.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$162 ¥24.8K

$21.18 MX$359

664.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 ¥509

$2.05 MX$34.84

61.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 ¥393

$0.58 MX$9.79

341.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.09 ¥3,239

$6.07 MX$103

247.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥170

$1.55 MX$26.34

-28.39%

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

$16.1K ¥2.5M

$22.9K MX$388.1K

-29.68%

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

$13.1K ¥2.0M

$27.2K MX$462.0K

-51.83%

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

$137 ¥21.0K

$67.4 MX$1,144

103.10%

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

$22.78 ¥3,498

$30.62 MX$520

-25.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.01 ¥5,068

$37.24 MX$632

-11.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 ¥6,892

$61.5 MX$1,043

-26.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.59 ¥5,004

$27.12 MX$460

20.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 ¥1,755

$7.11 MX$121

60.76%

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

$325 ¥49.9K

$456 MX$7,739

-28.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,361 ¥976.7K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-53.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.02 ¥4,917

$74.2 MX$1,259

-56.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.49 ¥5,143

$57.0 MX$967

-41.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.80 ¥7,032

$115 MX$1,958

-60.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.2 ¥14.9K

$122 MX$2,061

-19.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 ¥64.3K

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-63.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 ¥43.2K

$709 MX$12.0K

-60.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 ¥134.2K

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-66.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$609 ¥93.5K

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-52.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ¥390.9K

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-36.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,288 ¥197.8K

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-39.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 ¥251.5K

$1,082 MX$18.4K

51.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.6

11.3

-85.84%

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

Last update for Kawagoe: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $419 in Kawagoe and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kawagoe pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Kawagoe vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $345 per month, with Kawagoe 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

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

Kawagoe and Mexico City differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,221 vs $1,677 including rent). Kawagoe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 51% higher in Kawagoe, 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: $419 in Kawagoe versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kawagoe – a meal for two runs $43.00 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 $1,221 per month in Kawagoe versus $1,677 in Mexico City – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,221 in Kawagoe versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kawagoe but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Kawagoe 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, Kawagoe 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 Kawagoe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.