Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Managua and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Managua: $1,042 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Managua
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Managua Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Managua

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$1,042

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Managua 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 Managua and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,042 per month in Managua vs $1,567 in Mexico City, rent included.

Managua $1,042
Mexico City $1,567

A couple spends around $1,629 per month in Managua vs $2,450 in Mexico City, rent included.

Managua $1,629
Mexico City $2,450

A family of three spends $2,215 per month in Managua vs $3,333 in Mexico City, rent included.

Managua $2,215
Mexico City $3,333

Managua is about 33% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Managua sits 23% below the global median, while Mexico City is 16% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.82 NIO 360

$10.75 MX$199

-8.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 NIO 1,305

$50.3 MX$929

-29.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 NIO 275

$11.10 MX$205

-32.34%

Cappuccino

$2.58 NIO 94.4

$3.68 MX$68.1

-29.89%

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

$0.91 NIO 33.38

$1.65 MX$30.42

-44.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 NIO 27.07

$1.30 MX$24.08

-43.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 NIO 54.0

$3.32 MX$61.3

-55.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 NIO 81.1

$5.54 MX$102

-60.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 NIO 44.57

$1.77 MX$32.68

-31.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 NIO 87.5

$3.05 MX$56.4

-21.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 NIO 68.7

$2.01 MX$37.20

-6.47%

Eggs

$2.43 NIO 88.9

$2.77 MX$51.1

-12.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 NIO 418

$11.91 MX$220

-4.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 NIO 235

$9.33 MX$172

-31.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.74 NIO 283

$15.02 MX$278

-48.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.08 NIO 149

$3.08 MX$56.8

32.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 NIO 21.50

$1.95 MX$35.97

-69.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 NIO 67.4

$2.03 MX$37.54

-9.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 NIO 90.5

$2.21 MX$40.92

11.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.99 NIO 146

$2.02 MX$37.41

97.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 NIO 79.5

$1.82 MX$33.67

19.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 NIO 38.08

$1.52 MX$28.07

-31.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 NIO 36.86

$1.28 MX$23.65

-21.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.68 NIO 98.0

$5.27 MX$97.4

-49.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 NIO 539

$16.12 MX$298

-8.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 NIO 52.4

$1.95 MX$36.05

-26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 NIO 83.1

$4.25 MX$78.6

-46.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 NIO 5.69

$0.31 MX$5.82

-48.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.99 NIO 220

$19.85 MX$367

-69.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 NIO 60.7

$2.00 MX$36.93

-17.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 NIO 58.9

$0.53 MX$9.86

203.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.88 NIO 252

$5.62 MX$104

22.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 NIO 49.58

$1.52 MX$28.07

-11.18%

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

$23.2K NIO 850.6K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

10.43%

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

$26.2K NIO 960.2K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

4.12%

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

$150 NIO 5,499

$62.5 MX$1,155

140.26%

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

$19.87 NIO 728

$28.77 MX$532

-30.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.01 NIO 1,172

$34.45 MX$637

-7.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.39 NIO 1,296

$57.1 MX$1,055

-38.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.16 NIO 555

$24.81 MX$458

-38.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 NIO 332

$6.67 MX$123

35.83%

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

$235 NIO 8,616

$431 MX$7,964

-45.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,163 NIO 225.7K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-47.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 NIO 2,163

$70.8 MX$1,308

-16.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.8 NIO 2,408

$51.8 MX$958

26.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NIO 4,494

$109 MX$2,011

12.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NIO 5,394

$112 MX$2,076

31.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$257 NIO 9,407

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-75.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 NIO 6,678

$665 MX$12.3K

-72.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 NIO 15.9K

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-81.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 NIO 13.5K

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-69.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,188 NIO 43.5K

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-66.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$681 NIO 24.9K

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-65.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$430 NIO 15.7K

$975 MX$18.0K

-55.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.92

11.3

5.49%

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

Last update for Managua: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Managua

$260 25%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 24.1% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Managua

$202 19.4%

Mexico City

$126 8% 37.8% $76

Accommodation & Living

Managua

$182 17.5%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 265% $483

Clothing & Footwear

Managua

$178 17.1%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 12.9% $23

Eating Out

Managua

$150 14.4%

Mexico City

$203 13% 35% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Managua

$54 5.1%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 31.7% $17

Getting Around

Managua

$16 1.6%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 58.1% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $257 in Managua versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 127% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Managua versus $50.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $323 – making Managua the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇮 Managua

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

06:01 6:01 AM

Same time as Managua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,039,290 Capital

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Nicaraguan Córdoba NIO C$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 NIO = 2.73 USD

100 NIO = 2.43 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to NIO – Nicaraguan Córdoba Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇮 Nicaraguan Córdoba (C$)

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 41.17 NIO (100 NIO = 2.43 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 NIO in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Managua Mexico City 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Managua
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,042 in Managua, $1,567 in Mexico City – roughly 50% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,563 per month in Managua and $2,351 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Managua, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 231% less in Managua. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $235 per month in Managua and $431 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Managua, where all-in costs run around $1,042, than in Mexico City at $1,567. In Managua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,042 in Managua to $1,567 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Managua. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.