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: $2,282 in Madrid versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Madrid versus $2,342 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,470 in Madrid versus $3,199 in Mexico City.

Living in Madrid is roughly 54% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €14.59

$13.29 MX$230

29.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 €59.8

$53.8 MX$931

31.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.06 €10.24

$9.29 MX$161

29.82%

Cappuccino

$3.15 €2.67

$3.61 MX$62.5

-12.74%

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

$3.21 €2.73

$1.56 MX$26.97

105.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.79

$1.12 MX$19.42

88.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.96 €3.36

$3.13 MX$54.1

26.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.84

$4.71 MX$81.5

-3.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.06

$1.70 MX$29.48

-26.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.43

$2.77 MX$47.92

-39.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.45

$1.96 MX$33.97

-12.76%

Eggs

$3.40 €2.89

$2.60 MX$45.11

30.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.93 €12.68

$9.94 MX$172

50.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 €7.60

$8.10 MX$140

10.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.18 €14.59

$11.50 MX$199

49.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.21

$2.87 MX$49.72

-9.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$1.73 MX$30.00

26.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.17

$2.00 MX$34.65

28.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.24

$2.04 MX$35.30

29.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$2.08 MX$36.06

1.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.78

$2.20 MX$38.03

-4.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.19

$1.45 MX$25.18

-2.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.82

$1.07 MX$18.59

-10.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €5.99

$4.27 MX$74.0

65.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 €7.03

$14.32 MX$248

-42.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.23

$1.76 MX$30.55

-17.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €1.92

$3.70 MX$64.1

-38.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.50

$0.35 MX$6.11

405.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.35 €41.89

$19.19 MX$332

157.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 €3.34

$1.34 MX$23.13

194.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.13

$0.28 MX$4.82

375.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.57 €24.26

$5.33 MX$92.4

436.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.61

$1.34 MX$23.22

41.79%

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

$38.4K €32.6K

$19.1K MX$331.2K

100.58%

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

$34.1K €29.0K

$23.9K MX$413.6K

42.88%

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

$196 €166

$39.86 MX$690

390.99%

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

$21.30 €18.08

$26.78 MX$464

-20.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.85 €30.44

$29.36 MX$509

22.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 €45.80

$53.4 MX$925

0.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.54 €14.89

$26.09 MX$452

-32.77%

Cinema Ticket

$11.36 €9.64

$6.40 MX$111

77.50%

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

$671 €569

$440 MX$7,629

52.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.1K

$10.8K MX$186.2K

10.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.1 €79.9

$57.6 MX$998

63.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.46 €36.05

$45.02 MX$780

-5.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.7

$104 MX$1,797

0.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €113

$108 MX$1,870

22.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 €1,335

$1,013 MX$17.5K

55.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 €956

$630 MX$10.9K

78.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,857 €2,426

$2,162 MX$37.4K

32.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 €1,630

$1,222 MX$21.2K

57.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,268 €7,868

$3,793 MX$65.7K

144.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,531 €3,847

$2,332 MX$40.4K

94.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,609 €2,215

$1,075 MX$18.6K

142.73%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,572 in Madrid and $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 143% 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: $70 in Madrid vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $285 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 54% 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.

Madrid pays 143% more on average, 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: $1,572 in Madrid versus $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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 $70.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $2,282 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 $1,484 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 54% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.