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 $1,506 per month in Matera vs $1,456 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,274 per month in Matera vs $2,361 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,041 per month in Matera vs $3,266 in Mexico City, rent included.

Matera costs about 3% more than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Matera and Mexico City sit above the global median – Matera by 13%, Mexico City by 9%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 €12.20

$13.07 MX$228

6.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.4

$53.8 MX$936

30.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.48 €10.06

$9.68 MX$169

18.60%

Cappuccino

$2.05 €1.79

$3.74 MX$65.1

-45.19%

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

$2.15 €1.88

$1.62 MX$28.13

32.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$1.16 MX$20.23

-4.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.68 €4.10

$3.23 MX$56.2

44.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 €4.16

$4.74 MX$82.5

0.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.09

$1.65 MX$28.68

-24.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.75 MX$47.95

-36.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.55

$1.87 MX$32.63

55.61%

Eggs

$3.81 €3.34

$2.50 MX$43.54

52.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.89 €13.04

$10.20 MX$178

45.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 €8.95

$8.25 MX$144

23.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.41 €14.37

$11.82 MX$206

38.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.54

$3.01 MX$52.4

-3.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.81 MX$31.54

22.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 €1.04

$2.00 MX$34.81

-40.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 €3.20

$2.00 MX$34.74

82.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.75

$2.08 MX$36.30

-3.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 €1.48

$2.27 MX$39.56

-25.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.31

$1.46 MX$25.36

2.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 €0.43

$1.08 MX$18.74

-54.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.94

$4.35 MX$75.7

55.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.57 €6.63

$16.99 MX$296

-55.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.37

$1.73 MX$30.18

56.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 €2.91

$3.58 MX$62.3

-7.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.49

$0.39 MX$6.74

335.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.73 €38.30

$18.69 MX$325

133.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 €5.04

$1.33 MX$23.08

333.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 €1.89

$0.28 MX$4.87

671.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.36 €30.97

$5.25 MX$91.5

573.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.77

$1.34 MX$23.27

50.75%

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

$35.9K €31.4K

$19.4K MX$338.0K

84.82%

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

$35.2K €30.8K

$23.8K MX$415.0K

47.53%

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

$174 €152

$40.69 MX$709

327.53%

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

$13.04 €11.42

$26.87 MX$468

-51.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.92 €29.70

$30.51 MX$531

11.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 €48.23

$52.8 MX$919

4.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 €20.11

$26.65 MX$464

-13.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.53 €10.10

$6.51 MX$113

77.11%

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

$390 €342

$428 MX$7,454

-8.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,182 €5,414

$10.5K MX$182.8K

-41.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 €80.3

$57.3 MX$997

60.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.28 €37.90

$45.50 MX$792

-4.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.9

$104 MX$1,812

-1.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 €129

$108 MX$1,878

37.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$632 €553

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-37.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 €375

$623 MX$10.8K

-31.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 €822

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-55.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 €584

$1,218 MX$21.2K

-45.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,745 €2,404

$3,885 MX$67.6K

-29.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,221 €2,821

$2,033 MX$35.4K

58.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,778 €1,557

$1,038 MX$18.1K

71.36%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $632 in Matera versus $1,003 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 71% 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 $70.0 in Matera versus $54.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $309 vs $292 – 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 3% 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 $2,259 per month in Matera and $2,185 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 134% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $390 per month in Matera and $428 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 $1,456, than in Matera at $1,506. 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 $1,456 versus $1,506 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.