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: $1,022 in Kurume versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,597 in Kurume versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,172 in Kurume versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Kurume costs roughly 30% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kurume is 24% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.85 ¥788

$13.07 MX$228

-62.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.86 ¥6,802

$53.8 MX$936

-22.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.17 ¥678

$9.68 MX$169

-56.92%

Cappuccino

$2.10 ¥342

$3.74 MX$65.1

-43.85%

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

$0.77 ¥125

$1.62 MX$28.13

-52.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥89.4

$1.16 MX$20.23

-52.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 ¥560

$3.23 MX$56.2

6.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ¥285

$4.74 MX$82.5

-62.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ¥230

$1.65 MX$28.68

-13.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ¥232

$2.75 MX$47.95

-48.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.13 ¥670

$1.87 MX$32.63

120.86%

Eggs

$2.10 ¥340

$2.50 MX$43.54

-16.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 ¥1,665

$10.20 MX$178

0.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.12 ¥994

$8.25 MX$144

-25.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.02 ¥3,416

$11.82 MX$206

77.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 ¥496

$3.01 MX$52.4

1.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ¥229

$1.81 MX$31.54

-22.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ¥222

$2.00 MX$34.81

-32.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.83 ¥947

$2.00 MX$34.74

191.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 ¥448

$2.08 MX$36.30

32.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 ¥508

$2.27 MX$39.56

37.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ¥159

$1.46 MX$25.36

-32.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥124

$1.08 MX$18.74

-29.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ¥643

$4.35 MX$75.7

-8.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.04 ¥982

$16.99 MX$296

-64.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥315

$1.73 MX$30.18

12.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 ¥196

$3.58 MX$62.3

-66.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 ¥260

$0.39 MX$6.74

310.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.7 ¥8,892

$18.69 MX$325

192.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.78 ¥776

$1.33 MX$23.08

259.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.91 ¥473

$0.28 MX$4.87

939.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.75 ¥3,210

$5.25 MX$91.5

276.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 ¥115

$1.34 MX$23.27

-47.76%

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

$23.3K ¥3.8M

$19.4K MX$338.0K

20.16%

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

$19.7K ¥3.2M

$23.8K MX$415.0K

-17.26%

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

$215 ¥34.9K

$40.69 MX$709

428.43%

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

$27.50 ¥4,468

$26.87 MX$468

2.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.68 ¥4,010

$30.51 MX$531

-19.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 ¥8,933

$52.8 MX$919

4.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.64 ¥2,217

$26.65 MX$464

-48.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ¥1,272

$6.51 MX$113

20.28%

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

$416 ¥67.6K

$428 MX$7,454

-2.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$10.5K MX$182.8K

26.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.71 ¥6,940

$57.3 MX$997

-25.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.93 ¥2,263

$45.50 MX$792

-69.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$26.69 ¥4,336

$104 MX$1,812

-74.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.22 ¥5,561

$108 MX$1,878

-68.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$211 ¥34.3K

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-78.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 ¥22.8K

$623 MX$10.8K

-77.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$527 ¥85.6K

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-75.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 ¥55.7K

$1,218 MX$21.2K

-71.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,477 ¥727.4K

$3,885 MX$67.6K

15.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,230 ¥362.4K

$2,033 MX$35.4K

9.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,480 ¥240.5K

$1,038 MX$18.1K

42.62%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $211 in Kurume and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kurume pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Kurume vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $292 per month, with Kurume 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

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

Kurume and Mexico City differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,022 vs $1,456 including rent). Kurume is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Kurume, 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: $211 in Kurume versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kurume – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,022 in Kurume versus $1,456 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 43% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.