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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,650 in Abuja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $2,777 in Abuja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $3,905 in Abuja.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 11% less than in Abuja, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, Abuja 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$2.02 ₦2,760

550.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$44.61 ₦60.9K

20.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$5.61 ₦7,652

66.31%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.56 ₦3,498

44.53%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.50 ₦688

220.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.39 ₦526

187.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.06 ₦1,444

196.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$1.18 ₦1,612

311.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$3.12 ₦4,253

-47.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.30 ₦1,769

108.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$2.41 ₦3,294

-20.75%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.49 ₦2,030

73.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$5.12 ₦6,982

91.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$4.62 ₦6,306

82.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$3.84 ₦5,244

210.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.97 ₦4,046

-0.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.70 ₦2,315

2.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.16 ₦2,948

-5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.77 ₦2,414

16.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$2.04 ₦2,784

5.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$2.54 ₦3,470

-11.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.57 ₦775

143.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.31 ₦428

261.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$2.52 ₦3,438

67.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$5.74 ₦7,824

205.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.05 ₦1,438

62.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.45 ₦1,983

150.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.68 ₦932

-48.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.86 ₦1,171

60.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$1.04 ₦1,417

-73.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$4.27 ₦5,821

23.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$0.83 ₦1,131

63.86%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

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

$40.53 MX$701

$30.33 ₦41.4K

33.63%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$11.03 ₦15.1K

148.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$41.89 ₦57.2K

-27.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$45.38 ₦61.9K

15.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$10.65 ₦14.5K

148.64%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$8.22 ₦11.2K

-24.70%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$133 ₦181.8K

218.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$1,974 ₦2.7M

443.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$30.26 ₦41.3K

92.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$29.11 ₦39.7K

53.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$67.6 ₦92.2K

53.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$86.9 ₦118.5K

25.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$2,445 ₦3.3M

-58.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$1,158 ₦1.6M

-46.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$5,503 ₦7.5M

-61.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$2,717 ₦3.7M

-54.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$700 ₦955.1K

441.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$366 ₦499.0K

476.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$167 ₦228.1K

529.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

22.5

-49.60%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Abuja: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $2,445 in Abuja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 529% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $45.00 in Abuja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $189 per month, with Abuja 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

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

Mexico City and Abuja differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,650 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 529% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $2,445 in Abuja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $133 in Abuja. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $45.00 in Abuja. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,650 in Abuja, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Abuja. 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Abuja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.