Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Aba

For one person, living is cheaper in Aba: $402 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Aba

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$402

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Aba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Aba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $402 in Aba, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Aba $402

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $653 in Aba, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Aba $653

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $904 in Aba, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Aba $904

Mexico City costs about 300% more than Aba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Aba is 70% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$7.21 ₦9,667

43.55%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$0.87 ₦1,172

324.14%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$2.07 ₦2,770

54.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$2.42 ₦3,243

119.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$3.71 ₦4,968

-53.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$2.21 ₦2,960

37.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$11.26 ₦15.1K

-2.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$1.27 ₦1,700

1091.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$5.14 ₦6,889

-40.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$0.55 ₦735

252.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$3.44 ₦4,614

-40.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$1.15 ₦1,541

28.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$0.16 ₦209

693.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$1.45 ₦1,947

265.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$7.18 ₦9,628

124.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$1.24 ₦1,657

59.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$1.43 ₦1,922

197.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$9.28 ₦12.4K

112.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$6,017 ₦8.1M

261.53%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$7,453 ₦10.0M

221.82%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$113 ₦151.4K

-44.24%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$2.19 ₦2,941

1150.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$44.64 ₦59.8K

-20.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$2.13 ₦2,861

200.47%

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

$432 MX$8,045

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$1,047 ₦1.4M

990.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$15.04 ₦20.2K

616.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$18.61 ₦24.9K

530.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$136 ₦181.8K

720.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$443 ₦594.3K

483.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$221 ₦296.8K

534.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$1,057 ₦1.4M

243.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$461 ₦618.2K

362.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$95.0 ₦127.3K

896.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

-5.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Aba: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Aba

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Aba

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Aba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Aba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Aba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Aba

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Aba

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $136 in Aba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mexico City are about 10 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇳🇬 Aba

🕒 Local time

16:05 4:05 PM

23:05 11:05 PM

7 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,020,900

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Mexico City Aba 11,530 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Aba

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

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

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 300%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $603 in Aba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Groceries cost about 93% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Aba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aba, where all-in costs run around $402, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Aba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $402 in Aba to $1,608 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Aba. 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.