Comparación del coste de vida entre Machala y Mexico City Comparación del coste de vida entre Machala y Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $632 in Machala versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,006 in Machala versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,379 in Machala versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Machala costs roughly 57% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Machala is 53% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.43 $2.43

$12.98 MX$227

-81.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.77 $24.77

$53.1 MX$929

-53.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.64 $6.64

$9.72 MX$170

-31.69%

Cappuccino

$2.63 $2.63

$3.75 MX$65.6

-29.87%

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

$0.76 $0.76

$1.57 MX$27.46

-51.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 $0.49

$1.13 MX$19.76

-56.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.18 MX$55.7

-38.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 $4.40

$4.66 MX$81.6

-5.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.62 MX$28.37

-32.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.71 MX$47.36

-61.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.88 MX$32.89

-49.47%

Eggs

$1.51 $1.51

$2.51 MX$43.90

-39.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$10.08 MX$176

-67.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$8.29 MX$145

-51.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$11.94 MX$209

-60.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.86 MX$50.1

-27.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.75 MX$30.62

-39.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 $0.73

$2.08 MX$36.48

-64.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.97 MX$34.46

-45.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.41 $0.41

$2.16 MX$37.79

-81.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$2.18 MX$38.16

-76.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.37 $0.37

$1.39 MX$24.34

-73.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.12 MX$19.69

-9.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.20 MX$73.5

3.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 $7.42

$14.25 MX$249

-47.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.76 MX$30.85

-7.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.68 MX$64.5

-40.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.39 MX$6.74

-7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.27 $24.27

$18.66 MX$327

30.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.39 MX$24.26

10.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.30 MX$5.32

240.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.17 $8.17

$5.42 MX$94.9

50.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 $0.59

$1.35 MX$23.63

-56.30%

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

$18.3K $18.3K

$18.9K MX$330.5K

-3.09%

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

$21.8K $21.8K

$23.2K MX$405.2K

-5.74%

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

$38.13 $38.13

$40.82 MX$714

-6.59%

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

$13.93 $13.93

$27.50 MX$481

-49.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.57 $26.57

$30.38 MX$532

-12.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.24 $42.24

$53.4 MX$935

-20.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.78 $14.78

$26.30 MX$460

-43.80%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 $5.03

$6.27 MX$110

-19.78%

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

$134 $134

$436 MX$7,632

-69.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,947 $5,947

$10.5K MX$183.2K

-43.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 $52.3

$56.8 MX$993

-7.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$44.79 MX$784

-2.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 $78.9

$103 MX$1,799

-23.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.0 $68.0

$108 MX$1,888

-37.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$188 $188

$1,000 MX$17.5K

-81.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$134 $134

$620 MX$10.9K

-78.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$352 $352

$2,137 MX$37.4K

-83.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 $262

$1,235 MX$21.6K

-78.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,346 $1,346

$3,865 MX$67.6K

-65.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$763 $763

$2,332 MX$40.8K

-67.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$441 $441

$1,067 MX$18.7K

-58.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-55.91%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Machala: April 26, 2026

Última actualización para Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $188 in Machala and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 142% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Machala vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $144 vs $286 per month, with Machala cheaper across the board.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.

Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales

Machala vs Mexico City: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes

Machala is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 135% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Mexico City earns 142% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $188 in Machala versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Machala – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $632 per month in Machala versus $1,484 in Mexico City – a 135% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $632 in Machala versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Machala but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Machala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Machala is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Machala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.