Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mazatlan and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mazatlan: $1,408 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Mazatlan
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Mazatlan Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mazatlan

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,408

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,408 per month in Mazatlan vs $1,567 in Mexico City, rent included.

Mazatlan $1,408
Mexico City $1,567

A couple spends around $2,032 per month in Mazatlan vs $2,450 in Mexico City, rent included.

Mazatlan $2,032
Mexico City $2,450

A family of three spends $2,657 per month in Mazatlan vs $3,333 in Mexico City, rent included.

Mazatlan $2,657
Mexico City $3,333

Mazatlan is about 10% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mazatlan and Mexico City sit above the global median – Mazatlan by 4%, Mexico City by 16%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.95 MX$202

$10.75 MX$199

1.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.11 MX$852

$50.3 MX$929

-8.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 MX$154

$11.10 MX$205

-24.86%

Cappuccino

$3.38 MX$62.5

$3.68 MX$68.1

-8.15%

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

$1.49 MX$27.50

$1.65 MX$30.42

-9.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$20.67

$1.30 MX$24.08

-13.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 MX$37.34

$3.32 MX$61.3

-39.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.26

$5.54 MX$102

-51.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 MX$30.13

$1.77 MX$32.68

-7.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 MX$47.76

$3.05 MX$56.4

-15.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 MX$24.37

$2.01 MX$37.20

-34.33%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$50.1

$2.77 MX$51.1

-2.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 MX$151

$11.91 MX$220

-31.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 MX$126

$9.33 MX$172

-26.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.58 MX$140

$15.02 MX$278

-49.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.5

$3.08 MX$56.8

-9.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 MX$29.78

$1.95 MX$35.97

-17.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 MX$30.90

$2.03 MX$37.54

-17.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 MX$8.60

$2.21 MX$40.92

-78.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$30.74

$2.02 MX$37.41

-17.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 MX$24.73

$1.82 MX$33.67

-26.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$28.73

$1.52 MX$28.07

1.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$75.7

$5.27 MX$97.4

-22.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.66 MX$289

$16.12 MX$298

-2.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 MX$36.89

$1.95 MX$36.05

2.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$58.8

$4.25 MX$78.6

-25.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MX$13.65

$0.31 MX$5.82

138.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.38 MX$746

$19.85 MX$367

103.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 MX$64.8

$2.00 MX$36.93

75.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 MX$44.95

$0.53 MX$9.86

358.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.60

$1.52 MX$28.07

-5.26%

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

$20.9K MX$385.5K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

-0.80%

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

$24.8K MX$458.7K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

-1.42%

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

$59.4 MX$1,097

$62.5 MX$1,155

-5.01%

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

$45.79 MX$846

$28.77 MX$532

59.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.24 MX$781

$34.45 MX$637

22.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.21 MX$817

$57.1 MX$1,055

-22.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$4.36 MX$80.7

$6.67 MX$123

-34.63%

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

$88.6 MX$1,637

$431 MX$7,964

-79.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,942 MX$35.9K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-83.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 MX$1,172

$70.8 MX$1,308

-10.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 MX$506

$51.8 MX$958

-47.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,042

$109 MX$2,011

1.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.1 MX$1,516

$112 MX$2,076

-26.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 MX$14.9K

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-23.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 MX$11.2K

$665 MX$12.3K

-8.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 MX$22.7K

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-47.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$835 MX$15.4K

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-31.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,570 MX$29.0K

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-55.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,053 MX$19.5K

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-46.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$538 MX$9,950

$975 MX$18.0K

-44.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

11.3

2.65%

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

Last update for Mazatlan: 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

Mazatlan

$608 43.2%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 9.4% $57

Groceries & Markets

Mazatlan

$234 * 16.6%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 38% $89

Eating Out

Mazatlan

$179 12.7%

Mexico City

$203 13% 13.4% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mazatlan

$147 10.5%

Mexico City

$126 8% 14.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Mazatlan

$128 9.1%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 21.3% $27

Getting Around

Mazatlan

$59 4.2%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 56.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Mazatlan

$53 3.8%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 33.1% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $808 in Mazatlan 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 81% 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 $46.00 in Mazatlan versus $50.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $323 – making Mazatlan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mazatlan

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

23:09 11:09 PM

00:09 12:09 AM

1 h ahead of Mazatlan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

441,975

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Mazatlan Mexico City 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Mazatlan
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,408 in Mazatlan, $1,567 in Mexico City – roughly 11% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,112 per month in Mazatlan 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 Mazatlan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 103% less in Mazatlan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $88.6 per month in Mazatlan 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 Mazatlan, where all-in costs run around $1,408, than in Mexico City at $1,567. In Mazatlan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mazatlan has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,408 in Mazatlan to $1,567 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Mazatlan. 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.