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: $983 in Kurume versus $1,668 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,538 in Kurume versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,092 in Kurume versus $3,557 in Mexico City.

Living in Kurume costs roughly 41% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kurume is 27% below, Mexico City is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.38 ¥689

$12.03 MX$213

-63.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.34 ¥6,812

$52.8 MX$934

-17.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.84 ¥604

$11.69 MX$207

-67.15%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ¥300

$3.87 MX$68.4

-50.65%

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

$0.68 ¥107

$1.75 MX$30.94

-61.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥80.6

$1.39 MX$24.65

-63.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 ¥524

$3.36 MX$59.4

-0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥251

$5.77 MX$102

-72.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥201

$1.81 MX$31.92

-29.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ¥201

$3.08 MX$54.5

-58.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 ¥836

$2.13 MX$37.65

149.77%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥301

$2.98 MX$52.6

-35.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.68 ¥2,936

$12.53 MX$221

49.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.35 ¥840

$10.24 MX$181

-47.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.78 ¥3,108

$15.92 MX$281

24.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 ¥598

$3.39 MX$59.8

12.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 ¥303

$2.11 MX$37.24

-8.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 ¥447

$2.13 MX$37.59

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 ¥543

$2.47 MX$43.61

39.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 ¥346

$2.04 MX$36.03

7.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ¥419

$2.01 MX$35.59

32.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ¥172

$1.59 MX$28.15

-31.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ¥155

$1.33 MX$23.50

-25.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.74 ¥589

$5.49 MX$97.0

-31.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.47 ¥1,016

$17.52 MX$310

-63.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥266

$2.01 MX$35.61

-15.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ¥178

$4.74 MX$83.8

-76.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 ¥231

$0.34 MX$5.94

332.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 ¥9,294

$21.07 MX$373

180.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 ¥654

$2.05 MX$36.28

102.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 ¥340

$0.61 MX$10.75

255.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.32 ¥2,880

$5.70 MX$101

221.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ¥103

$1.59 MX$28.09

-58.49%

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

$21.8K ¥3.4M

$22.9K MX$404.6K

-4.61%

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

$18.0K ¥2.8M

$26.4K MX$466.2K

-31.66%

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

$194 ¥30.5K

$64.2 MX$1,135

202.23%

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

$25.81 ¥4,057

$29.42 MX$520

-12.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.68 ¥3,723

$36.83 MX$651

-35.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 ¥8,280

$58.7 MX$1,038

-10.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.54 MX$469

Cinema Ticket

$7.07 ¥1,111

$6.95 MX$123

1.73%

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

$129 ¥20.3K

$463 MX$8,180

-72.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K ¥2.0M

$13.4K MX$236.2K

-6.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.05 ¥6,139

$75.4 MX$1,333

-48.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.06 ¥2,053

$54.2 MX$958

-75.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.56 ¥4,018

$111 MX$1,965

-77.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.75 ¥5,148

$122 MX$2,160

-73.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ¥79.1K

$1,133 MX$20.0K

-55.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$127 ¥20.0K

$698 MX$12.3K

-81.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 ¥76.3K

$2,442 MX$43.2K

-80.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ¥50.5K

$1,303 MX$23.0K

-75.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,829 ¥601.8K

$3,910 MX$69.1K

-2.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ¥279.8K

$2,069 MX$36.6K

-13.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,525 ¥239.8K

$1,052 MX$18.6K

44.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.85

11.3

-83.63%

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

Last update for Kurume: September 20, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Kurume and $1,133 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kurume pays 45% 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 Kurume vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $343 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 70% in total monthly costs ($983 vs $1,668 including rent). Kurume is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% 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: $503 in Kurume versus $1,133 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% 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 $43.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $983 in Kurume versus $1,668 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 70% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.