Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mardan and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mardan: $502 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Mardan
Learn more

Mardan Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Mardan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$502

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $502 in Mardan versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Mardan $502
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $788 in Mardan versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Mardan $788
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,074 in Mardan versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Mardan $1,074
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Mardan costs roughly 69% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mardan is 63% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 PKR 978

$10.62 MX$199

-66.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.47 PKR 6,495

$48.35 MX$908

-51.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 PKR 1,504

$10.35 MX$194

-47.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 PKR 1,013

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 PKR 1,872

Cappuccino

$2.55 PKR 705

$3.69 MX$69.3

-30.89%

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

$0.34 PKR 94.7

$1.67 MX$31.29

-79.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.9

$1.27 MX$23.76

-81.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.6

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 250

$1.72 MX$32.38

-47.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 216

$3.04 MX$57.1

-74.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$1.94 MX$36.44

-33.51%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 337

$2.89 MX$54.2

-57.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.93 PKR 811

$10.97 MX$206

-73.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 PKR 878

$9.25 MX$174

-65.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.72 PKR 1,029

$15.13 MX$284

-75.41%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 240

$3.05 MX$57.2

-71.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 PKR 203

$1.94 MX$36.45

-62.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 PKR 286

$2.03 MX$38.02

-49.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 96.5

$2.31 MX$43.46

-84.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 74.2

$2.04 MX$38.21

-86.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

$1.80 MX$33.79

-78.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 77.2

$1.48 MX$27.77

-81.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 PKR 96.0

$1.27 MX$23.80

-72.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 PKR 496

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 333

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PKR 642

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 PKR 508

$5.30 MX$99.6

-65.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 54.5

$0.31 MX$5.73

-35.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.72 PKR 2,966

$19.73 MX$371

-45.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 PKR 352

$1.84 MX$34.50

-30.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 PKR 190

$0.53 MX$10.02

30.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$5.30 MX$99.4

-69.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 PKR 292

$1.51 MX$28.36

-30.46%

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

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

$21.8K MX$408.4K

0.09%

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

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

$24.0K MX$450.3K

-1.73%

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

$104 PKR 28.7K

$63.0 MX$1,182

64.50%

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

$6.02 PKR 1,666

$27.39 MX$514

-78.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.99 PKR 4,701

$35.67 MX$670

-52.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.89 PKR 3,566

$58.9 MX$1,107

-78.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.04 PKR 2,223

$23.64 MX$444

-65.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 PKR 1,353

$6.40 MX$120

-23.59%

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

$42.07 PKR 11.6K

$432 MX$8,103

-90.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,058 PKR 292.8K

$11.4K MX$214.5K

-90.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.98 PKR 7,188

$68.2 MX$1,281

-61.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.63 PKR 9,583

$53.1 MX$997

-34.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 PKR 26.7K

$108 MX$2,023

-10.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.12 PKR 11.1K

$117 MX$2,202

-65.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$134 PKR 37.1K

$1,113 MX$20.9K

-87.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

$710 MX$13.3K

-87.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 PKR 73.1K

$2,588 MX$48.6K

-89.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 PKR 50.3K

$1,406 MX$26.4K

-87.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$865 PKR 239.3K

$3,631 MX$68.2K

-76.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$578 PKR 159.9K

$2,135 MX$40.1K

-72.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

11.35

15.24%

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

Last update for Mardan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mardan

$127 25.2%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 0.5% $0.6

Clothing & Footwear

Mardan

$89 17.7%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 75.8% $67

Accommodation & Living

Mardan

$86 17.1%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 727% $625

Groceries & Markets

Mardan

$84 16.8%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 280% $235

Eating Out

Mardan

$77 15.4%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 157% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Mardan

$23 4.5%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 217% $49

Getting Around

Mardan

$16 3.2%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 57% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $134 in Mardan and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Mardan vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $84 vs $320 per month, with Mardan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Mardan

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

06:48 6:48 AM

19:48 7:48 PM

11 h behind Mardan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

358,604

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mardan Mexico City 13,980 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mardan
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

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

Mardan is about 69% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $753 in Mardan and $2,412 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $134 in Mardan versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $42 in Mardan versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 280% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $502 in Mardan versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mardan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Mardan 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.

Expats usually find Mardan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.