Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Merced and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in La Merced: $558 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in La Merced
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La Merced Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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La Merced

🇵🇪 Peru

$558

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Merced and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in La Merced and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $558 per month in La Merced vs $1,674 in Mexico City, rent included.

La Merced $558
Mexico City $1,674

A couple spends around $910 per month in La Merced vs $2,606 in Mexico City, rent included.

La Merced $910
Mexico City $2,606

A family of three spends $1,263 per month in La Merced vs $3,537 in Mexico City, rent included.

La Merced $1,263
Mexico City $3,537

La Merced is about 67% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

La Merced sits 59% below the global median, while Mexico City is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.38 PEN 15.10

$10.59 MX$197

-58.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.86 PEN 120

$52.0 MX$967

-32.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 PEN 24.19

$10.73 MX$200

-34.67%

Cappuccino

$3.18 PEN 10.97

$3.80 MX$70.7

-16.32%

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

$1.08 PEN 3.72

$1.61 MX$30.01

-32.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.24

$1.21 MX$22.55

-46.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 PEN 8.86

$3.18 MX$59.1

-19.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 PEN 14.81

$5.44 MX$101

-21.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.44

$1.72 MX$31.96

-8.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 PEN 7.15

$2.97 MX$55.2

-30.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 PEN 4.43

$1.93 MX$35.84

-33.68%

Eggs

$2.35 PEN 8.11

$2.77 MX$51.6

-15.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 PEN 25.29

$11.67 MX$217

-37.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.78 PEN 19.94

$9.48 MX$176

-39.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.68 PEN 29.94

$15.37 MX$286

-43.53%

Apples (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.17

$3.10 MX$57.8

-70.32%

Banana (1kg)

$0.45 PEN 1.56

$1.96 MX$36.49

-77.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.30 PEN 1.04

$1.98 MX$36.88

-84.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 PEN 2.46

$2.34 MX$43.46

-69.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 PEN 0.96

$2.02 MX$37.66

-86.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 PEN 1.55

$1.82 MX$33.95

-75.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 PEN 2.07

$1.54 MX$28.74

-61.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 3.01

$1.31 MX$24.42

-33.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.63 PEN 19.42

$5.35 MX$99.6

5.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 PEN 25.30

$16.19 MX$301

-54.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 PEN 6.56

$1.96 MX$36.46

-3.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 PEN 10.61

$4.35 MX$81.0

-29.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 PEN 11.84

$1.92 MX$35.68

78.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 PEN 7.14

$0.47 MX$8.80

340.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.64 PEN 26.37

$5.41 MX$101

41.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 PEN 5.65

$1.48 MX$27.61

10.81%

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

$21.7K PEN 75.0K

$21.4K MX$397.7K

1.77%

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

$28.9K PEN 99.8K

$23.8K MX$442.1K

21.82%

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

$66.7 PEN 230

$62.0 MX$1,154

7.52%

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

$15.80 PEN 54.5

$28.47 MX$530

-44.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.06 PEN 93.4

$34.11 MX$635

-20.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,087

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$7.14 PEN 24.63

$6.59 MX$123

8.35%

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

$318 PEN 1,096

$434 MX$8,081

-26.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K PEN 43.6K

$14.0K MX$261.2K

-9.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 PEN 184

$68.4 MX$1,272

-22.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.12 PEN 121

$54.8 MX$1,020

-35.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 PEN 289

$111 MX$2,063

-24.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 PEN 273

$116 MX$2,159

-31.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$21.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$47.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$66.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

11.35

-22.64%

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

Last update for La Merced: October 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

La Merced

$185 33.1%

Mexico City

$324 19.3% 74.9% $139

Eating Out

La Merced

$123 22%

Mexico City

$201 12% 63.6% $78

Clothing & Footwear

La Merced

$113 20.3%

Mexico City

$158 9.4% 39.4% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Merced

$110 19.6%

Mexico City

$125 7.4% 13.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

La Merced

$14 * 2.6%

Mexico City

$72 4.3% 401% $57

Getting Around

La Merced

$14 * 2.5%

Mexico City

$25 1.5% 81.3% $11

Accommodation & Living

La Merced

- * 0%

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in La Merced versus $52 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $324 – making La Merced the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 La Merced

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

23:05 11:05 PM

22:05 10:05 PM

1 h behind La Merced

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.45 PEN (1 PEN = 0.29 USD). 1 EUR = 3.88 PEN (1 PEN = 0.258 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

La Merced Mexico City 4,010 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

La Merced
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

La Merced vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 200% more than La Merced, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $837 per month in La Merced and $2,510 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $558 in La Merced and $1,674 in Mexico City. That makes La Merced about 67% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $318 per month in La Merced and $434 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in La Merced, where all-in costs run around $558, than in Mexico City at $1,674. In La Merced it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $558 in La Merced to $1,674 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.