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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,268 in Kumamoto versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,969 in Kumamoto versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,670 in Kumamoto versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Kumamoto costs roughly 13% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kumamoto is 5% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.57 ¥1,392

$13.07 MX$228

-34.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 ¥5,693

$53.8 MX$936

-34.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 ¥979

$9.68 MX$169

-37.71%

Cappuccino

$3.07 ¥499

$3.74 MX$65.1

-17.91%

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

$0.70 ¥114

$1.62 MX$28.13

-56.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥134

$1.16 MX$20.23

-28.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 ¥263

$3.23 MX$56.2

-49.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥341

$4.74 MX$82.5

-55.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 ¥219

$1.65 MX$28.68

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 ¥269

$2.75 MX$47.95

-40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 ¥663

$1.87 MX$32.63

118.18%

Eggs

$2.10 ¥341

$2.50 MX$43.54

-16.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 ¥1,650

$10.20 MX$178

-0.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 ¥1,023

$8.25 MX$144

-23.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.78 ¥3,376

$11.82 MX$206

75.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 ¥503

$3.01 MX$52.4

2.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ¥228

$1.81 MX$31.54

-22.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 ¥230

$2.00 MX$34.81

-29.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.96 ¥968

$2.00 MX$34.74

198.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 ¥460

$2.08 MX$36.30

36.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 ¥507

$2.27 MX$39.56

37.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 ¥147

$1.46 MX$25.36

-37.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥120

$1.08 MX$18.74

-31.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.94 ¥641

$4.35 MX$75.7

-9.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.47 ¥889

$16.99 MX$296

-67.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 ¥321

$1.73 MX$30.18

14.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥333

$3.58 MX$62.3

-42.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 ¥261

$0.39 MX$6.74

312.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.1 ¥8,948

$18.69 MX$325

194.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.72 ¥766

$1.33 MX$23.08

254.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.89 ¥469

$0.28 MX$4.87

932.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.40 ¥3,153

$5.25 MX$91.5

269.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥200

$1.34 MX$23.27

-8.21%

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

$23.6K ¥3.8M

$19.4K MX$338.0K

21.60%

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

$19.6K ¥3.2M

$23.8K MX$415.0K

-17.60%

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

$214 ¥34.8K

$40.69 MX$709

426.17%

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

$26.96 ¥4,380

$26.87 MX$468

0.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.22 ¥5,884

$30.51 MX$531

18.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 ¥9,112

$52.8 MX$919

6.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ¥2,282

$26.65 MX$464

-47.32%

Cinema Ticket

$13.83 ¥2,246

$6.51 MX$113

112.44%

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

$409 ¥66.5K

$428 MX$7,454

-4.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$10.5K MX$182.8K

25.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.67 ¥6,933

$57.3 MX$997

-25.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.61 ¥4,810

$45.50 MX$792

-34.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.3 ¥10.6K

$104 MX$1,812

-37.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.4 ¥9,978

$108 MX$1,878

-43.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$462 ¥75.1K

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-53.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 ¥53.5K

$623 MX$10.8K

-47.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 ¥141.0K

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-58.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 ¥108.2K

$1,218 MX$21.2K

-45.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,816 ¥620.1K

$3,885 MX$67.6K

-1.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,816 ¥295.1K

$2,033 MX$35.4K

-10.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.67

11.34

-85.27%

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

Last update for Kumamoto: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $462 in Kumamoto and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Kumamoto vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $292 per month, with Kumamoto 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

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

Kumamoto and Mexico City differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,268 vs $1,456 including rent). Kumamoto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,902 in Kumamoto and $2,185 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $462 in Kumamoto versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kumamoto runs roughly 195% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $409 in Kumamoto versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,268 in Kumamoto versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kumamoto but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Kumamoto 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, Kumamoto 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 Kumamoto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.