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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,416 in Melbourne versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,579 in Melbourne versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,742 in Melbourne versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 65% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 80% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 A$27.68

$13.18 MX$228

49.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 A$110

$53.9 MX$931

45.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 A$13.60

$9.42 MX$163

2.97%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.14

$3.55 MX$61.3

3.10%

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

$2.60 A$3.65

$1.62 MX$27.95

60.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 A$3.28

$1.11 MX$19.25

110.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 A$10.06

$3.12 MX$53.9

129.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.79

$4.63 MX$80.0

50.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.03

$1.70 MX$29.40

-14.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.73

$2.72 MX$46.97

-2.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.28

$1.91 MX$33.04

22.51%

Eggs

$4.80 A$6.73

$2.54 MX$43.82

88.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 A$12.29

$10.03 MX$173

-12.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 A$13.23

$8.09 MX$140

16.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 A$20.22

$11.62 MX$201

24.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.67

$2.97 MX$51.3

12.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.89

$1.81 MX$31.21

53.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.21

$2.01 MX$34.79

49.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.53

$2.03 MX$35.16

94.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.75

$2.12 MX$36.71

26.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.30

$2.27 MX$39.21

3.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$2.99

$1.40 MX$24.20

52.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.29

$1.13 MX$19.53

44.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.44 A$45.49

$4.27 MX$73.8

659.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 A$19.78

$15.56 MX$269

-9.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.64 A$6.51

$1.76 MX$30.36

163.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.07

$3.60 MX$62.1

40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 A$4.89

$0.38 MX$6.62

818.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 A$168

$19.18 MX$331

525.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.91

$1.38 MX$23.77

153.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 A$1.89

$0.28 MX$4.78

382.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.94 A$37.77

$5.45 MX$94.1

394.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.67

$1.30 MX$22.53

-8.46%

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

$29.4K A$41.3K

$18.7K MX$322.9K

57.46%

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

$23.6K A$33.1K

$23.1K MX$399.7K

1.93%

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

$150 A$210

$40.86 MX$706

266.98%

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

$21.16 A$29.67

$26.81 MX$463

-21.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 A$70.5

$29.96 MX$518

67.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.14 A$68.9

$52.0 MX$899

-5.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.37 A$22.96

$26.84 MX$464

-39.01%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 A$23.04

$6.30 MX$109

160.79%

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

$1,764 A$2,473

$436 MX$7,536

304.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K A$26.9K

$10.4K MX$180.0K

84.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 A$95.8

$56.7 MX$979

20.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 A$74.7

$44.38 MX$767

20.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$149

$103 MX$1,779

3.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$147

$106 MX$1,823

-0.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 A$2,205

$1,022 MX$17.7K

53.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 A$1,675

$631 MX$10.9K

89.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 A$4,273

$2,136 MX$36.9K

42.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 A$2,789

$1,243 MX$21.5K

60.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,387 A$10.4K

$3,903 MX$67.4K

89.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 A$9,151

$2,064 MX$35.7K

216.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,512 A$6,326

$1,115 MX$19.3K

304.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

11.34

-45.41%

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

Last update for Melbourne: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,572 in Melbourne and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 305% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Melbourne vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $288 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

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

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

Melbourne and Mexico City differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($2,416 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Melbourne pays 305% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,572 in Melbourne versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,764 in Melbourne versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,416 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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.

Safety-wise, Melbourne and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.