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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,060 per month in Mackay vs $1,466 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,193 per month in Mackay vs $2,325 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,326 per month in Mackay vs $3,184 in Mexico City, rent included.

Mackay costs about 41% more than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Mackay and Mexico City sit above the global median – Mackay by 54%, Mexico City by 9%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.09 A$22.53

$13.30 MX$231

20.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 A$98.9

$53.8 MX$932

31.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.93 A$16.70

$9.42 MX$163

26.65%

Cappuccino

$3.92 A$5.49

$3.59 MX$62.3

9.19%

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

$3.04 A$4.26

$1.62 MX$28.13

87.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 A$3.56

$1.12 MX$19.49

126.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.65 A$9.30

$3.25 MX$56.3

104.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.57 A$9.19

$4.65 MX$80.6

41.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 A$1.85

$1.64 MX$28.37

-19.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 A$2.98

$2.65 MX$46.00

-19.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 A$3.56

$1.96 MX$33.99

29.59%

Eggs

$5.10 A$7.14

$2.54 MX$44.08

100.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.82 A$12.35

$9.97 MX$173

-11.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 A$11.51

$8.39 MX$145

-2.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.79 A$20.70

$11.83 MX$205

25.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 A$4.71

$2.86 MX$49.62

17.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 A$3.86

$1.73 MX$30.05

59.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.12

$1.99 MX$34.50

48.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 A$6.71

$2.05 MX$35.51

134.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 A$2.44

$2.06 MX$35.64

-15.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 A$2.28

$2.28 MX$39.54

-28.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 A$2.60

$1.45 MX$25.05

28.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.05

$1.09 MX$18.83

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.75 A$54.2

$4.27 MX$73.9

807.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.67 A$12.14

$14.67 MX$254

-40.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.77 A$6.67

$1.76 MX$30.58

171.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 A$7.92

$3.57 MX$61.8

58.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 A$3.11

$0.38 MX$6.67

484.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.0 A$92.4

$18.73 MX$325

252.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 A$7.69

$1.39 MX$24.09

294.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 A$2.56

$0.30 MX$5.26

510.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.98 A$44.78

$5.41 MX$93.8

491.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 A$1.68

$1.34 MX$23.22

-10.45%

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

$37.4K A$52.4K

$18.9K MX$326.7K

98.56%

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

$29.0K A$40.6K

$23.2K MX$402.0K

25.13%

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

$186 A$261

$40.30 MX$698

362.43%

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

$26.73 A$37.43

$27.15 MX$471

-1.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.3 A$101

$29.46 MX$510

145.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.9 A$105

$52.7 MX$914

41.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.60 A$27.44

$26.17 MX$454

-25.11%

Cinema Ticket

$15.37 A$21.52

$6.18 MX$107

148.71%

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

$1,755 A$2,457

$441 MX$7,637

298.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K A$16.9K

$10.7K MX$185.4K

12.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.4 A$94.3

$57.2 MX$992

17.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.86 A$65.6

$45.04 MX$781

4.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$158

$103 MX$1,793

9.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 A$137

$109 MX$1,884

-10.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 A$1,280

$1,000 MX$17.3K

-8.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$797 A$1,116

$632 MX$11.0K

26.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,724 A$2,414

$2,141 MX$37.1K

-19.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 A$2,303

$1,253 MX$21.7K

31.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,180 A$8,652

$3,745 MX$64.9K

65.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,005 A$7,007

$2,381 MX$41.3K

110.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,704 A$7,986

$1,079 MX$18.7K

428.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.7

11.34

-49.74%

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

Last update for Mackay: April 21, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $915 in Mackay versus $1,000 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 428% higher in Mackay, 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 $71 in Mackay versus $54 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $341 vs $286 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Mackay is pricier by about 41%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Mackay and $2,199 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 19% more in Mackay, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Mackay and $54.0 in Mexico City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,466, than in Mackay at $2,060. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mackay it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mexico City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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