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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,493 per month in Matera vs $1,467 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,276 per month in Matera vs $2,371 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,060 per month in Matera vs $3,274 in Mexico City, rent included.

Matera costs about 2% more than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Matera and Mexico City sit above the global median – Matera by 11%, Mexico City by 10%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.69 €11.79

$13.18 MX$228

3.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.6

$53.9 MX$934

28.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 €9.84

$9.42 MX$163

21.23%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.81

$3.55 MX$61.5

-40.85%

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

$2.08 €1.79

$1.62 MX$28.03

28.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.11 MX$19.31

-3.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.12 MX$54.1

47.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €3.91

$4.63 MX$80.2

-1.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.11

$1.70 MX$29.48

-24.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.72 MX$47.10

-36.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.91 MX$33.13

52.88%

Eggs

$3.76 €3.24

$2.54 MX$43.94

48.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.64 €12.61

$10.03 MX$174

45.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.15 €8.74

$8.09 MX$140

25.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.51 €14.21

$11.62 MX$201

42.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 €2.51

$2.97 MX$51.4

-1.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.81 MX$31.30

27.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 €0.97

$2.01 MX$34.88

-43.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.69 €3.18

$2.03 MX$35.26

81.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.12 MX$36.82

-8.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$2.27 MX$39.32

-22.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.40 MX$24.26

6.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 €0.43

$1.13 MX$19.59

-55.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.63 €5.71

$4.27 MX$74.0

55.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.35 €7.19

$15.56 MX$270

-46.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.76 MX$30.44

51.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €2.96

$3.60 MX$62.3

-4.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.38 MX$6.64

363.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.12 €37.99

$19.18 MX$332

130.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 €4.86

$1.38 MX$23.84

308.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.28 MX$4.79

671.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 €30.31

$5.45 MX$94.4

545.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.30 MX$22.60

59.23%

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

$36.4K €31.4K

$18.7K MX$323.8K

95.03%

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

$34.9K €30.0K

$23.1K MX$400.8K

50.72%

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

$171 €148

$40.86 MX$708

319.53%

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

$13.03 €11.22

$26.81 MX$465

-51.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.23 €28.61

$29.96 MX$519

10.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 €46.69

$52.0 MX$901

4.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.44 €20.19

$26.84 MX$465

-12.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.45 €9.86

$6.30 MX$109

81.75%

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

$386 €332

$436 MX$7,558

-11.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,172 €5,315

$10.4K MX$180.5K

-40.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.3 €81.2

$56.7 MX$982

66.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.38 €37.35

$44.38 MX$769

-2.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.3

$103 MX$1,784

-1.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 €125

$106 MX$1,829

37.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$628 €541

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-38.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 €376

$631 MX$10.9K

-30.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$926 €797

$2,136 MX$37.0K

-56.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 €570

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-46.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,898 €2,496

$3,903 MX$67.6K

-25.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,382 €2,912

$2,064 MX$35.8K

63.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,768 €1,522

$1,115 MX$19.3K

58.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

11.34

-64.37%

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

Last update for Matera: May 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $628 in Matera versus $1,022 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 59% higher in Matera, 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 $69.0 in Matera versus $54.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $311 vs $288 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Matera costs about 2% more than Mexico City, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,239 per month in Matera and $2,201 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 130% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $386 per month in Matera and $436 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 Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,467, than in Matera at $1,493. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Matera it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mexico City costs $1,467 versus $1,493 in Matera. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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