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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,687 in Abuja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $2,850 in Abuja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $4,012 in Abuja.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 12% less than in Abuja, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, Abuja 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$2.04 ₦2,812

536.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$44.83 ₦61.7K

18.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$5.70 ₦7,846

70.53%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.54 ₦3,501

47.64%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.55 ₦760

185.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.42 ₦573

169.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.07 ₦1,478

197.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$1.19 ₦1,639

291.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$3.03 ₦4,179

-46.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.25 ₦1,725

116.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$2.51 ₦3,457

-25.10%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.50 ₦2,072

67.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$5.30 ₦7,292

90.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.60 ₦6,335

80.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$3.94 ₦5,429

203.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$3.07 ₦4,223

-6.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.77 ₦2,442

-1.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.19 ₦3,009

-5.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.74 ₦2,398

13.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$2.16 ₦2,967

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$2.53 ₦3,486

-13.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.61 ₦835

127.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.29 ₦395

286.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.46 ₦3,390

70.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$7.09 ₦9,760

100.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.10 ₦1,518

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.43 ₦1,964

157.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.64 ₦883

-39.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.91 ₦1,247

52.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.02 ₦1,408

-70.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$4.29 ₦5,901

26.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.77 ₦1,060

75.32%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

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

$40.82 MX$714

$30.29 ₦41.7K

34.76%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$10.91 ₦15.0K

152.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$42.37 ₦58.3K

-28.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$43.96 ₦60.5K

21.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$10.60 ₦14.6K

148.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$8.26 ₦11.4K

-24.09%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$132 ₦181.5K

230.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$1,979 ₦2.7M

429.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$29.71 ₦40.9K

91.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$29.33 ₦40.4K

52.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$68.0 ₦93.7K

51.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$85.3 ₦117.4K

26.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$2,487 ₦3.4M

-59.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$1,147 ₦1.6M

-45.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$5,558 ₦7.7M

-61.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$2,731 ₦3.8M

-54.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,141 ₦1.6M

238.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,125 ₦1.5M

107.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$285 ₦392.1K

274.76%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Abuja: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $2,487 in Abuja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 275% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $45.00 in Abuja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $193 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 14% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,687 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 275% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $2,487 in Abuja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $132 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 $53.0 versus $45.00 in Abuja. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,687 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 14% less than in Abuja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.