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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,500 in Male versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,446 in Male versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,393 in Male versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Male costs roughly 9% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Male 9% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 MVR 95.0

$12.11 MX$205

-49.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.53 MVR 594

$52.2 MX$883

-26.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 MVR 153

$10.90 MX$184

-8.81%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 MVR 75.6

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 MVR 74.3

Cappuccino

$3.55 MVR 54.8

$4.05 MX$68.5

-12.35%

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

$1.59 MVR 24.57

$1.72 MX$29.00

-7.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.84

$1.38 MX$23.29

-77.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 MVR 32.20

$1.85 MX$31.33

12.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 MVR 25.81

$3.22 MX$54.5

-48.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 MVR 19.35

$2.09 MX$35.25

-39.71%

Eggs

$1.87 MVR 28.82

$2.91 MX$49.18

-35.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 MVR 161

$12.49 MX$211

-16.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 MVR 96.3

$10.11 MX$171

-38.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 MVR 146

$15.89 MX$269

-40.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 MVR 60.4

$3.31 MX$56.0

18.43%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 MVR 48.29

$2.13 MX$35.95

46.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 MVR 63.1

$2.19 MX$37.03

86.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 MVR 40.96

$2.45 MX$41.37

8.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 MVR 31.32

$2.19 MX$37.00

-7.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 MVR 28.66

$1.90 MX$32.20

-2.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 MVR 32.98

$1.62 MX$27.31

32.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MVR 9.63

$1.35 MX$22.82

-54.07%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.57 MVR 194

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MVR 41.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 MVR 30.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.85 MVR 229

$5.43 MX$91.7

173.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MVR 10.22

$0.34 MX$5.75

94.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.42 MVR 469

$21.58 MX$365

40.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 MVR 29.69

$2.04 MX$34.49

-5.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 MVR 30.69

$0.58 MX$9.77

243.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 MVR 154

$5.97 MX$101

67.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 MVR 14.89

$1.62 MX$27.31

-40.12%

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

$31.7K MVR 489.2K

$22.8K MX$385.6K

39.07%

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

$28.8K MVR 444.6K

$26.7K MX$450.7K

8.15%

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

$120 MVR 1,843

$65.2 MX$1,103

83.17%

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

$30.58 MVR 472

$29.87 MX$505

2.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.4 MVR 1,101

$36.55 MX$618

95.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.1 MVR 1,082

$61.0 MX$1,031

14.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.42 MVR 515

$26.70 MX$451

25.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.55 MVR 147

$6.85 MX$116

39.42%

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

$187 MVR 2,882

$453 MX$7,664

-58.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,960 MVR 45.6K

$13.4K MX$226.0K

-77.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.33 MVR 606

$75.0 MX$1,267

-47.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.68 MVR 751

$55.3 MX$935

-11.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 MVR 1,356

$114 MX$1,920

-22.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.6 MVR 796

$123 MX$2,073

-57.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 MVR 14.7K

$1,134 MX$19.2K

-16.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 MVR 10.7K

$712 MX$12.0K

-2.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,064 MVR 31.8K

$2,571 MX$43.5K

-19.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 MVR 23.9K

$1,311 MX$22.2K

18.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,266 MVR 34.9K

$3,993 MX$67.5K

-43.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,376 MVR 21.2K

$2,095 MX$35.4K

-34.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$813 MVR 12.5K

$1,047 MX$17.7K

-22.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

23.89%

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

Last update for Male: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Male and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 29% 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: $39.00 in Male vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $345 per month, with Male 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

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

Male is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Mexico City. 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: $952 in Male versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,500 per month in Male versus $1,646 in Mexico City – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Male runs roughly 41% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,500 in Male versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Male but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Male the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Male 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.

Safety-wise, Male 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 Male gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.