Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexicali and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexicali: $927 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Mexicali
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Mexicali Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexicali

🇲🇽 Mexico

$927

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $927 per month in Mexicali vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

Mexicali $927
Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $1,485 per month in Mexicali vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

Mexicali $1,485
Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $2,042 per month in Mexicali vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

Mexicali $2,042
Mexico City $3,490

Mexicali is about 42% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexicali sits 32% below the global median, while Mexico City is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.33 MX$231

$10.62 MX$199

16.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.01 MX$619

$48.35 MX$906

-31.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.49 MX$122

$10.35 MX$194

-37.29%

Cappuccino

$3.33 MX$62.3

$3.69 MX$69.2

-9.76%

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

$1.37 MX$25.75

$1.67 MX$31.23

-17.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$19.97

$1.27 MX$23.71

-15.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$60.2

$3.19 MX$59.8

0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 MX$75.5

$5.31 MX$99.5

-24.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 MX$22.41

$1.72 MX$32.32

-30.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 MX$43.41

$3.04 MX$57.0

-23.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.94 MX$36.38

-25.77%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$50.1

$2.89 MX$54.1

-7.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.40 MX$44.92

$10.97 MX$206

-78.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 MX$113

$9.25 MX$173

-34.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.60 MX$124

$15.13 MX$283

-56.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 MX$30.11

$3.05 MX$57.1

-47.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 MX$24.59

$1.94 MX$36.38

-32.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.63

$2.03 MX$37.95

-32.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 MX$29.36

$2.31 MX$43.38

-32.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.70

$2.04 MX$38.14

-32.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.88

$1.80 MX$33.73

-23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 MX$25.09

$1.48 MX$27.72

-9.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 MX$14.47

$1.27 MX$23.75

-39.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 MX$75.2

$5.30 MX$99.4

-24.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 MX$150

$16.10 MX$302

-50.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.77

$1.98 MX$37.16

-1.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 MX$74.7

$4.25 MX$79.7

-6.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 MX$19.15

$0.31 MX$5.72

229.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.66 MX$649

$19.73 MX$370

75.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 MX$52.4

$1.84 MX$34.44

52.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 MX$41.11

$0.53 MX$10.00

313.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.17 MX$359

$5.30 MX$99.2

261.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$25.72

$1.51 MX$28.31

-9.27%

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

$24.5K MX$459.9K

$21.8K MX$407.7K

12.82%

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

$23.1K MX$432.9K

$24.0K MX$449.5K

-3.69%

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

$47.16 MX$884

$63.0 MX$1,180

-25.12%

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

$21.80 MX$409

$27.39 MX$513

-20.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.74 MX$539

$35.67 MX$668

-19.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.07 MX$732

$58.9 MX$1,105

-33.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.32 MX$306

$23.64 MX$443

-30.96%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 MX$74.7

$6.40 MX$120

-37.66%

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

$198 MX$3,715

$432 MX$8,088

-54.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,438 MX$83.2K

$11.4K MX$214.1K

-61.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.30 MX$624

$68.2 MX$1,278

-51.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.11 MX$602

$53.1 MX$996

-39.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,415

$108 MX$2,020

-29.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.44 MX$702

$117 MX$2,198

-68.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 MX$18.1K

$1,113 MX$20.9K

-13.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MX$4,961

$710 MX$13.3K

-62.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,370 MX$25.7K

$2,588 MX$48.5K

-47.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 MX$10.0K

$1,406 MX$26.3K

-62.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,628 MX$49.2K

$3,631 MX$68.0K

-27.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,427 MX$26.7K

$2,135 MX$40.0K

-33.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$837 MX$15.7K

$946 MX$17.7K

-11.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.07

11.35

6.34%

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

Last update for Mexicali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexicali

$265 28.5%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 168% $446

Groceries & Markets

Mexicali

$193 20.8%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 65.4% $126

Eating Out

Mexicali

$192 20.7%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 3.5% $6.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexicali

$98 10.5%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 29% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Mexicali

$80 8.7%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 94.2% $76

Getting Around

Mexicali

$53 5.7%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 51.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Mexicali

$47 5.1%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 52.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $967 in Mexicali versus $1,113 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 13% 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 $33 in Mexicali versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $320 – making Mexicali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexicali

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

07:06 7:06 AM

09:06 9:06 AM

2 h ahead of Mexicali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

854,186

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mexicali Mexico City 2,190 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexicali
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $927 in Mexicali, $1,608 in Mexico City – Mexicali comes out roughly 42% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,391 per month in Mexicali and $2,412 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexicali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $967 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Groceries cost about 65% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Mexicali and $48 in Mexico City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Mexicali, where all-in costs run around $927, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Mexicali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mexicali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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