Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Abbottabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Abbottabad: $315 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Abbottabad
Learn more

Abbottabad Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Abbottabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$315

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Abbottabad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Mexico City vs $315 in Abbottabad, rent included.

Mexico City $1,548
Abbottabad $315

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Mexico City vs $469 in Abbottabad, rent included.

Mexico City $2,436
Abbottabad $469

A family of three spends $3,323 per month in Mexico City vs $624 in Abbottabad, rent included.

Mexico City $3,323
Abbottabad $624

Mexico City costs about 391% more than Abbottabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 14% above the global median, while Abbottabad is 77% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$1.84 PKR 508

498.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$8.79 PKR 2,434

453.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$5.28 PKR 1,462

106.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 PKR 614

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 PKR 515

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$1.16 PKR 321

217.24%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$0.32 PKR 87.8

409.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.17 PKR 47.75

635.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$0.82 PKR 228

107.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$0.97 PKR 269

211.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$1.08 PKR 300

77.78%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$1.20 PKR 332

127.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$3.49 PKR 967

237.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$2.33 PKR 646

309.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$5.86 PKR 1,623

145.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.07 PKR 295

182.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$0.92 PKR 253

105.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$0.86 PKR 239

131.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$0.46 PKR 128

376.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$0.26 PKR 72.1

638.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$0.47 PKR 131

297.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$0.53 PKR 146

171.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.32 PKR 89.4

296.88%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$5.01 PKR 1,387

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PKR 208

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 PKR 191

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$1.63 PKR 452

220.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.21 PKR 57.1

61.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$1.10 PKR 305

81.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$0.35 PKR 96.0

48.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$1.49 PKR 412

258.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.23 PKR 341

23.58%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$21.9K PKR 6.1M

0.84%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

6.16%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$55.2 PKR 15.3K

10.59%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$3.55 PKR 984

705.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$12.75 PKR 3,528

170.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$9.23 PKR 2,556

510.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$1.95 PKR 541

241.54%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$27.09 PKR 7,498

1476.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$533 PKR 147.5K

2082.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$7.44 PKR 2,060

811.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$7.10 PKR 1,965

631.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$50.1 PKR 13.9K

111.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$10.73 PKR 2,969

948.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$81.2 PKR 22.5K

1161.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$55.3 PKR 15.3K

1082.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$164 PKR 45.4K

1308.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$83.1 PKR 23.0K

1393.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$187 PKR 51.7K

416.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.73%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Abbottabad: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Abbottabad

$55 17.6% 91.5% $599

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Abbottabad

$91 28.9% 71.4% $227

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Abbottabad

$46 14.7% 77.2% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Abbottabad

$34 10.8% 77.7% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Abbottabad

$72 22.7% 42.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Abbottabad

$13 4.2% 81.1% $57

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Abbottabad

$3.7 * 1.2% 85.7% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,025 in Mexico City versus $81.2 in Abbottabad. 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 416% 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 $49.00 in Mexico City versus $9.00 in Abbottabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $91.0 – making Abbottabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇰 Abbottabad

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

16:40 4:40 PM

11 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

208,491

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Abbottabad 14,000 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Abbottabad

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 Abbottabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 391% more than Abbottabad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Mexico City and $473 in Abbottabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Abbottabad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Mexico City and $9.00 in Abbottabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 249% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Abbottabad, where all-in costs run around $315, than in Mexico City at $1,548. In Abbottabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Abbottabad costs $315 versus $1,548 in Mexico City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Abbottabad. 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.