Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Male and Mexico City

For one person, living costs are similar in Male and in Mexico City: $1,530 and $1,567 a month, rent and utilities included.

74

Cost of Living Index in Male
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Male Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Male

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,530

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Male and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Male and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,530 in Male versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Male $1,530
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,451 in Male versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Male $2,451
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,373 in Male versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Male $3,373
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Male costs roughly 2% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Male 13% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.82 MVR 89.7

$10.75 MX$199

-45.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.04 MVR 602

$50.3 MX$929

-22.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 MVR 152

$11.10 MX$205

-11.35%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.80 MVR 74.0

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 MVR 75.5

Cappuccino

$3.51 MVR 54.1

$3.68 MX$68.1

-4.62%

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

$1.67 MVR 25.69

$1.65 MX$30.42

1.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.80

$1.30 MX$24.08

-76.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 MVR 30.68

$1.77 MX$32.68

12.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 MVR 26.08

$3.05 MX$56.4

-44.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 MVR 19.33

$2.01 MX$37.20

-37.81%

Eggs

$1.88 MVR 29.07

$2.77 MX$51.1

-32.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 MVR 164

$11.91 MX$220

-10.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.16 MVR 95.0

$9.33 MX$172

-33.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.56 MVR 147

$15.02 MX$278

-36.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 MVR 61.4

$3.08 MX$56.8

29.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 MVR 45.98

$1.95 MX$35.97

52.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.03 MVR 62.1

$2.03 MX$37.54

98.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 MVR 42.16

$2.21 MX$40.92

23.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MVR 32.01

$2.02 MX$37.41

2.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MVR 28.77

$1.82 MX$33.67

2.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 MVR 32.73

$1.52 MX$28.07

39.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MVR 9.09

$1.28 MX$23.65

-53.91%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.47 MVR 192

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MVR 40.81

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 MVR 29.47

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.18 MVR 234

$5.27 MX$97.4

188.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MVR 10.26

$0.31 MX$5.82

116.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.32 MVR 467

$19.85 MX$367

52.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 MVR 30.69

$2.00 MX$36.93

-0.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 MVR 30.55

$0.53 MX$9.86

273.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 MVR 157

$5.62 MX$104

81.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 MVR 15.19

$1.52 MX$28.07

-35.53%

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

$32.1K MVR 495.0K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

52.64%

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

$29.2K MVR 451.0K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

16.16%

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

$119 MVR 1,829

$62.5 MX$1,155

89.81%

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

$30.12 MVR 465

$28.77 MX$532

4.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.9 MVR 1,140

$34.45 MX$637

114.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 MVR 1,100

$57.1 MX$1,055

24.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.67 MVR 519

$24.81 MX$458

35.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.76 MVR 150

$6.67 MX$123

46.33%

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

$181 MVR 2,797

$431 MX$7,964

-57.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,056 MVR 47.1K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-73.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.52 MVR 609

$70.8 MX$1,308

-44.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.45 MVR 763

$51.8 MX$958

-4.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 MVR 1,323

$109 MX$2,011

-21.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.6 MVR 812

$112 MX$2,076

-53.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$938 MVR 14.5K

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-10.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MVR 10.9K

$665 MX$12.3K

6.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 MVR 31.0K

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-14.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 MVR 24.2K

$1,227 MX$22.7K

27.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,213 MVR 34.1K

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-37.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,385 MVR 21.4K

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-29.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$842 MVR 13.0K

$975 MX$18.0K

-13.59%

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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Male

$709 46.4%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 6.2% $44

Groceries & Markets

Male

$234 15.3%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 38% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Male

$223 14.6%

Mexico City

$126 8% 43.5% $97

Eating Out

Male

$126 8.2%

Mexico City

$203 13% 61% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Male

$102 6.7%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 51.2% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Male

$91 5.9%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 22.5% $20

Getting Around

Male

$45 2.9%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 42.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $938 in Male and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 16% 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 $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $323 per month, with Male cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇻 Male

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

15:48 3:48 PM

04:48 4:48 AM

11 h behind Male

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,693 Capital

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.77 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MVR – Maldivian Rufiyaa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇻 Maldivian Rufiyaa (Rf)

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.34 MVR (100 MVR = 5.77 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to MVR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Male Mexico City 17,270 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Male
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, eating out, and clothing. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 16% 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: $938 in Male versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,530 per month in Male versus $1,567 in Mexico City – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Male runs roughly 53% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,530 in Male versus $1,567 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 2% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.