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: $1,501 in Male versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,377 in Male versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Male versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Male is roughly 3% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Male 12% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.37 MVR 82.8

$13.07 MX$229

-58.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.25 MVR 451

$53.8 MX$943

-45.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 MVR 147

$9.68 MX$170

-1.65%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 MVR 71.7

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MVR 56.3

Cappuccino

$2.96 MVR 45.72

$3.74 MX$65.6

-20.86%

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

$1.34 MVR 20.62

$1.62 MX$28.34

-17.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 MVR 4.20

$1.16 MX$20.37

-76.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MVR 28.72

$1.65 MX$28.89

12.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 MVR 24.95

$2.75 MX$48.30

-41.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 MVR 20.23

$1.87 MX$32.87

-29.95%

Eggs

$1.80 MVR 27.71

$2.50 MX$43.86

-28.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 MVR 127

$10.20 MX$179

-19.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 MVR 97.8

$8.25 MX$145

-23.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 MVR 139

$11.82 MX$207

-23.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 MVR 61.7

$3.01 MX$52.8

32.89%

Banana (1kg)

$3.76 MVR 58.0

$1.81 MX$31.77

107.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 MVR 65.4

$2.00 MX$35.07

112.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 MVR 50.4

$2.00 MX$35.00

63.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 MVR 23.89

$2.08 MX$36.56

-25.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 MVR 18.73

$2.27 MX$39.85

-46.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.09 MVR 47.69

$1.46 MX$25.55

111.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MVR 8.18

$1.08 MX$18.88

-50.93%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.46 MVR 192

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MVR 42.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 MVR 162

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.14 MVR 126

$4.35 MX$76.3

87.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MVR 9.57

$0.39 MX$6.79

58.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 MVR 451

$18.69 MX$328

56.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 MVR 29.91

$1.33 MX$23.25

45.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 MVR 29.80

$0.28 MX$4.91

589.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.79 MVR 151

$5.25 MX$92.1

86.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 MVR 14.77

$1.34 MX$23.44

-28.36%

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

$31.9K MVR 492.0K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

64.36%

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

$34.7K MVR 535.8K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

45.80%

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

$105 MVR 1,612

$40.69 MX$714

156.89%

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

$41.36 MVR 638

$26.87 MX$471

53.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.8 MVR 1,168

$30.51 MX$535

148.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.9 MVR 1,263

$52.8 MX$926

55.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.07 MVR 679

$26.65 MX$467

65.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 MVR 146

$6.51 MX$114

45.62%

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

$164 MVR 2,524

$428 MX$7,508

-61.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,553 MVR 54.8K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-66.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.31 MVR 699

$57.3 MX$1,004

-20.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MVR 864

$45.50 MX$798

23.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 MVR 1,407

$104 MX$1,825

-12.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 MVR 823

$108 MX$1,891

-50.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 MVR 15.0K

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-3.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 MVR 10.8K

$623 MX$10.9K

11.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 MVR 25.7K

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-21.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 MVR 22.2K

$1,218 MX$21.4K

18.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,263 MVR 34.9K

$3,885 MX$68.1K

-41.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,886 MVR 29.1K

$2,033 MX$35.7K

-7.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$866 MVR 13.4K

$1,038 MX$18.2K

-16.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

11.34

9.35%

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

Last update for Male: July 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $972 in Male and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Male vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $292 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

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 20% 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: $972 in Male versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,501 per month in Male versus $1,456 in Mexico City – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 57% less than in Male. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,501 in Male, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Male. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Male, 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Male. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.