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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,293 in Madrid versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Madrid versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Madrid versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Madrid is roughly 57% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.19

$13.07 MX$227

32.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €60.2

$53.8 MX$936

27.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.48

$9.68 MX$168

23.45%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.72

$3.74 MX$65.1

-17.11%

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

$3.21 €2.81

$1.62 MX$28.12

98.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.88

$1.16 MX$20.22

84.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.59

$3.23 MX$56.2

26.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.99

$4.74 MX$82.5

-4.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.65 MX$28.67

-27.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.50

$2.75 MX$47.92

-37.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.51

$1.87 MX$32.62

-8.02%

Eggs

$3.52 €3.08

$2.50 MX$43.51

40.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 €13.14

$10.20 MX$178

46.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 €7.74

$8.25 MX$144

7.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.68

$11.82 MX$206

41.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.28

$3.01 MX$52.4

-13.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.95

$1.81 MX$31.53

22.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.15

$2.00 MX$34.79

22.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$2.00 MX$34.72

32.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$2.08 MX$36.28

-0.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$2.27 MX$39.54

-5.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.46 MX$25.35

-8.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.87

$1.08 MX$18.73

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.13

$4.35 MX$75.7

60.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.82

$16.99 MX$296

-54.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.26

$1.73 MX$30.17

-17.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.91

$3.58 MX$62.3

-39.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$0.39 MX$6.74

356.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.79 €42.77

$18.69 MX$325

161.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.61

$1.33 MX$23.07

209.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.22

$0.28 MX$4.87

396.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 €24.99

$5.25 MX$91.4

442.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.34 MX$23.26

43.28%

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

$37.7K €33.0K

$19.4K MX$337.8K

94.02%

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

$34.1K €29.9K

$23.8K MX$414.8K

43.17%

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

$193 €169

$40.69 MX$708

374.66%

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

$21.55 €18.90

$26.87 MX$468

-19.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.97 €31.53

$30.51 MX$531

17.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.20

$52.8 MX$919

-0.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.47

$26.65 MX$464

-33.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 €10.03

$6.51 MX$113

75.73%

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

$669 €586

$428 MX$7,450

56.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

$10.5K MX$182.7K

13.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €83.0

$57.3 MX$996

65.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 €37.54

$45.50 MX$792

-5.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.9

$104 MX$1,811

0.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €116

$108 MX$1,877

22.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,409

$1,003 MX$17.5K

60.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,009

$623 MX$10.8K

84.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 €2,489

$2,109 MX$36.7K

34.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,648

$1,218 MX$21.2K

54.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,038 €7,924

$3,885 MX$67.6K

132.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,262 €3,737

$2,033 MX$35.4K

109.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 €2,160

$1,038 MX$18.1K

137.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

11.34

-69.75%

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

Last update for Madrid: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Madrid and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 137% 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: $69.0 in Madrid vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $292 per month, with Mexico City 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

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

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 137% higher in Madrid, 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: $1,607 in Madrid versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,293 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,456 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.