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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,325 in Maldonado versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,090 in Maldonado versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,856 in Maldonado versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Maldonado costs roughly 10% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maldonado is 1% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.02 UYU 645

$13.18 MX$228

21.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 UYU 2,205

$53.9 MX$934

1.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 UYU 444

$9.42 MX$163

17.09%

Cappuccino

$4.15 UYU 167

$3.55 MX$61.5

16.90%

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

$2.27 UYU 91.3

$1.62 MX$28.03

40.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 UYU 70.7

$1.11 MX$19.31

57.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 UYU 96.3

$3.12 MX$54.1

-23.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 UYU 149

$4.63 MX$80.2

-20.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 UYU 45.41

$1.70 MX$29.48

-33.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 UYU 115

$2.72 MX$47.10

5.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 UYU 62.3

$1.91 MX$33.13

-18.85%

Eggs

$4.63 UYU 186

$2.54 MX$43.94

82.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 UYU 553

$10.03 MX$174

36.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.77 UYU 434

$8.09 MX$140

33.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 UYU 442

$11.62 MX$201

-5.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 UYU 88.2

$2.97 MX$51.4

-26.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 UYU 96.2

$1.81 MX$31.30

32.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 UYU 63.4

$2.01 MX$34.88

-21.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 UYU 142

$2.03 MX$35.26

74.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.4

$2.12 MX$36.82

-16.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 UYU 77.6

$2.27 MX$39.32

-14.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 UYU 48.24

$1.40 MX$24.26

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 UYU 64.9

$1.13 MX$19.59

42.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.25 UYU 212

$4.27 MX$74.0

22.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.55 UYU 143

$15.56 MX$270

-77.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.8

$1.76 MX$30.44

6.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 UYU 107

$3.60 MX$62.3

-26.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 UYU 53.2

$0.38 MX$6.64

247.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.20 UYU 1,780

$19.18 MX$332

130.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 UYU 60.2

$1.38 MX$23.84

7.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 UYU 84.5

$0.28 MX$4.79

650.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.22 UYU 452

$5.45 MX$94.4

105.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 UYU 73.0

$1.30 MX$22.60

39.23%

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

$34.4K UYU 1.4M

$18.7K MX$323.8K

84.04%

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

$35.8K UYU 1.4M

$23.1K MX$400.8K

54.65%

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

$155 UYU 6,262

$40.86 MX$708

280.52%

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

$16.93 UYU 682

$26.81 MX$465

-36.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.30 UYU 1,744

$29.96 MX$519

44.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.88 UYU 1,848

$52.0 MX$901

-11.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.76 UYU 1,199

$26.84 MX$465

10.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.95 UYU 320

$6.30 MX$109

26.19%

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

$478 UYU 19.2K

$436 MX$7,558

9.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,205 UYU 290.2K

$10.4K MX$180.5K

-30.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 UYU 3,427

$56.7 MX$982

50.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.83 UYU 1,886

$44.38 MX$769

5.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 UYU 3,581

$103 MX$1,784

-13.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 UYU 3,682

$106 MX$1,829

-13.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 UYU 14.7K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-64.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 UYU 11.5K

$631 MX$10.9K

-54.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 UYU 35.8K

$2,136 MX$37.0K

-58.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 UYU 24.2K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-51.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,526 UYU 61.4K

$3,903 MX$67.6K

-60.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,299 UYU 52.3K

$2,064 MX$35.8K

-37.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 UYU 35.7K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-20.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.68

11.34

-49.91%

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

Last update for Maldonado: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $366 in Maldonado and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 26% 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: $55.0 in Maldonado vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $288 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

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

Maldonado and Mexico City differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,325 vs $1,467 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 26% 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: $366 in Maldonado versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $478 in Maldonado versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,325 in Maldonado versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maldonado but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Maldonado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Maldonado 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 Maldonado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.