Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Loja and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Loja: $676 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Loja
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Loja Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Loja

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$676

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Loja 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 Loja and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $676 per month in Loja vs $1,567 in Mexico City, rent included.

Loja $676
Mexico City $1,567

A couple spends around $1,067 per month in Loja vs $2,450 in Mexico City, rent included.

Loja $1,067
Mexico City $2,450

A family of three spends $1,459 per month in Loja vs $3,333 in Mexico City, rent included.

Loja $1,459
Mexico City $3,333

Loja is about 57% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Loja sits 50% below the global median, while Mexico City is 16% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.08 $3.08

$10.75 MX$199

-71.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.71 $20.71

$50.3 MX$929

-58.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 $5.44

$11.10 MX$205

-50.99%

Cappuccino

$2.22 $2.22

$3.68 MX$68.1

-39.67%

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

$0.77 $0.77

$1.65 MX$30.42

-53.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 $0.45

$1.30 MX$24.08

-65.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 $1.22

$3.32 MX$61.3

-63.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$5.54 MX$102

-42.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.77 MX$32.68

-44.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 $1.51

$3.05 MX$56.4

-50.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.01 MX$37.20

-34.33%

Eggs

$1.92 $1.92

$2.77 MX$51.1

-30.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$11.91 MX$220

-51.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$9.33 MX$172

-55.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$15.02 MX$278

-60.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.08 MX$56.8

-45.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.95 MX$35.97

-46.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$2.03 MX$37.54

-41.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.21 MX$40.92

-51.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.02 MX$37.41

-47.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.82 MX$33.67

-41.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 $0.51

$1.52 MX$28.07

-66.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.28 MX$23.65

-11.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.23 $5.23

$5.27 MX$97.4

-0.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 $6.86

$16.12 MX$298

-57.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.95 MX$36.05

-22.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$4.25 MX$78.6

-28.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.31 MX$5.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.33 $30.33

$19.85 MX$367

52.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.00 MX$36.93

-36.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.53 MX$9.86

105.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.62 MX$104

75.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.52 MX$28.07

-48.68%

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

$14.8K $14.8K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

-29.51%

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

$28.7K $28.7K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

14.05%

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

$19.65 $19.65

$62.5 MX$1,155

-68.55%

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

$11.63 $11.63

$28.77 MX$532

-59.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.57 $26.57

$34.45 MX$637

-22.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.27 $30.27

$57.1 MX$1,055

-46.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.88 $14.88

$24.81 MX$458

-40.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 $7.46

$6.67 MX$123

11.84%

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

$183 $183

$431 MX$7,964

-57.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,017 $2,017

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-82.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$70.8 MX$1,308

-25.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.03 $47.03

$51.8 MX$958

-9.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 $79.1

$109 MX$2,011

-27.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 $71.2

$112 MX$2,076

-36.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 $237

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-77.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 $170

$665 MX$12.3K

-74.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$389 $389

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-83.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 $310

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-74.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$554 $554

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-84.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$323 $323

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-83.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$496 $496

$975 MX$18.0K

-49.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

11.3

-24.78%

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

Last update for Loja: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Loja

$170 25.2%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 291% $495

Groceries & Markets

Loja

$167 24.7%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 93% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Loja

$113 16.7%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 37.5% $42

Eating Out

Loja

$85 12.6%

Mexico City

$203 13% 139% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Loja

$58 8.6%

Mexico City

$126 8% 117% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Loja

$45 6.7%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 55.9% $25

Getting Around

Loja

$38 5.7%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 32.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $237 in Loja versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 96% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Loja versus $50.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $167 vs $323 – making Loja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Loja

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

22:25 10:25 PM

21:25 9:25 PM

1 h behind Loja

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,617

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Loja Mexico City 3,400 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Loja
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $676 in Loja, $1,567 in Mexico City – roughly 132% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,014 per month in Loja and $2,351 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Loja, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Loja. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $183 per month in Loja and $431 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Loja, where all-in costs run around $676, than in Mexico City at $1,567. In Loja 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 $676 in Loja to $1,567 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Loja. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.