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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,019 in Kurume versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,606 in Kurume versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,194 in Kurume versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Kurume costs roughly 31% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kurume is 24% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.79 ¥766

$13.18 MX$228

-63.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.36 ¥6,616

$53.9 MX$934

-23.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.06 ¥649

$9.42 MX$163

-56.90%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ¥323

$3.55 MX$61.5

-43.10%

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

$0.80 ¥128

$1.62 MX$28.03

-50.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥95.0

$1.11 MX$19.31

-46.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 ¥552

$3.12 MX$54.1

10.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥273

$4.63 MX$80.2

-63.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ¥227

$1.70 MX$29.48

-16.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ¥218

$2.72 MX$47.10

-49.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 ¥679

$1.91 MX$33.13

121.99%

Eggs

$2.14 ¥342

$2.54 MX$43.94

-15.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 ¥1,628

$10.03 MX$174

1.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.10 ¥976

$8.09 MX$140

-24.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.39 ¥3,261

$11.62 MX$201

75.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 ¥504

$2.97 MX$51.4

6.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 ¥229

$1.81 MX$31.30

-20.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 ¥227

$2.01 MX$34.88

-29.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 ¥955

$2.03 MX$35.26

194.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 ¥456

$2.12 MX$36.82

34.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.20 ¥512

$2.27 MX$39.32

40.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ¥159

$1.40 MX$24.26

-29.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥128

$1.13 MX$19.59

-29.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 ¥609

$4.27 MX$74.0

-10.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.19 ¥990

$15.56 MX$270

-60.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ¥319

$1.76 MX$30.44

13.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 ¥199

$3.60 MX$62.3

-65.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 ¥255

$0.38 MX$6.64

321.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.8 ¥8,763

$19.18 MX$332

185.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 ¥739

$1.38 MX$23.84

234.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.88 ¥461

$0.28 MX$4.79

928.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.64 ¥3,141

$5.45 MX$94.4

260.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ¥106

$1.30 MX$22.60

-49.23%

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

$23.0K ¥3.7M

$18.7K MX$323.8K

23.32%

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

$20.3K ¥3.3M

$23.1K MX$400.8K

-12.04%

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

$213 ¥34.1K

$40.86 MX$708

421.46%

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

$26.86 ¥4,295

$26.81 MX$465

0.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.14 ¥4,021

$29.96 MX$519

-16.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 ¥8,912

$52.0 MX$901

7.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.93 ¥2,227

$26.84 MX$465

-48.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 ¥1,204

$6.30 MX$109

19.37%

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

$423 ¥67.6K

$436 MX$7,558

-3.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$10.4K MX$180.5K

26.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.55 ¥6,966

$56.7 MX$982

-23.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.64 ¥2,182

$44.38 MX$769

-69.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$27.11 ¥4,337

$103 MX$1,784

-73.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.11 ¥5,616

$106 MX$1,829

-66.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$204 ¥32.6K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-80.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 ¥22.0K

$631 MX$10.9K

-78.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 ¥83.3K

$2,136 MX$37.0K

-75.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 ¥56.2K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-71.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,879 ¥780.4K

$3,903 MX$67.6K

25.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,517 ¥402.5K

$2,064 MX$35.8K

21.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,526 ¥244.1K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

36.86%

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 Kurume: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $204 in Kurume and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kurume pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Kurume vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 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

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

Kurume and Mexico City differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,019 vs $1,467 including rent). Kurume is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kurume pays 37% 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: $204 in Kurume versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Kurume – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,019 in Kurume versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kurume but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Kurume 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.

Expats usually find Kurume gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.