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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,470 in Leon versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,127 in Leon versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,784 in Leon versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs are close between Leon and Mexico City; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leon 10% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.44 €13.37

$13.14 MX$227

17.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.15 €34.77

$53.5 MX$926

-25.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.04 €7.83

$9.33 MX$161

-3.11%

Cappuccino

$1.75 €1.52

$3.70 MX$64.0

-52.70%

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

$2.49 €2.16

$1.60 MX$27.76

55.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.12 MX$19.34

56.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 €2.75

$3.14 MX$54.3

1.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 €3.20

$4.85 MX$83.9

-23.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.65 MX$28.61

-30.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 €1.11

$2.71 MX$46.96

-52.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.91 MX$33.03

-23.04%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.71

$2.59 MX$44.81

20.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.88 €10.29

$9.81 MX$170

21.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 €5.53

$8.43 MX$146

-24.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.67 €12.71

$11.93 MX$206

22.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 €2.24

$2.95 MX$51.1

-12.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 €2.31

$1.74 MX$30.10

53.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 €2.36

$2.04 MX$35.38

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.06 MX$35.64

19.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.88

$2.15 MX$37.20

0.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$2.26 MX$39.02

-8.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.39 MX$23.97

-17.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.89

$1.12 MX$19.31

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 €4.97

$4.22 MX$73.0

36.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.15 €4.46

$17.51 MX$303

-70.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.71 MX$29.58

-38.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.66

$3.63 MX$62.8

-47.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.35 MX$6.10

291.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.87 €23.27

$19.32 MX$334

39.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.22 €4.52

$1.38 MX$23.80

278.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.88

$0.28 MX$4.77

264.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.71 €38.71

$5.28 MX$91.3

746.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.36 MX$23.50

25.74%

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

$32.1K €27.8K

$19.1K MX$330.5K

68.18%

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

$30.9K €26.8K

$23.6K MX$408.4K

31.01%

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

$173 €150

$40.53 MX$701

328.03%

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

$19.49 €16.88

$27.38 MX$474

-28.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.67 €26.56

$30.38 MX$526

0.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.54 €27.31

$52.2 MX$903

-39.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 €5.49

$26.48 MX$458

-76.06%

Cinema Ticket

$8.57 €7.42

$6.19 MX$107

38.45%

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

$213 €184

$425 MX$7,355

-49.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,840 €5,923

$10.7K MX$185.7K

-36.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 €80.1

$58.3 MX$1,009

58.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.28 €17.56

$44.57 MX$771

-54.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 €64.9

$103 MX$1,791

-27.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.4 €59.2

$109 MX$1,881

-37.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$993 €860

$1,014 MX$17.5K

-2.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 €510

$623 MX$10.8K

-5.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 €862

$2,119 MX$36.7K

-53.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$799 €692

$1,223 MX$21.2K

-34.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,087 €1,808

$3,792 MX$65.6K

-44.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,590 €1,377

$2,110 MX$36.5K

-24.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,733 €1,501

$1,052 MX$18.2K

64.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

11.34

-66.23%

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

Last update for Leon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $993 in Leon and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leon pays 65% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $40.00 in Leon vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $293 per month, with Leon 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

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

Average pay runs 65% higher in Leon, 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: $993 in Leon versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $213 in Leon versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Leon – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,470 in Leon versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Leon but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Leon 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, Leon 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.

It comes down to priorities – Leon wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.