Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Acosta

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $1,712 in Acosta, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Acosta despite lower rent and utilities.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Acosta
Learn more

Acosta Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Acosta

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,712 in Acosta.

Mexico City $1,608
Acosta $1,712

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $2,673 in Acosta.

Mexico City $2,549
Acosta $2,673

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $3,633 in Acosta.

Mexico City $3,490
Acosta $3,633

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 6% less than in Acosta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 18% above, Acosta 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$12.26 ₡5,531

-13.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$57.1 ₡25.8K

-15.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$11.80 ₡5,325

-12.29%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$4.16 ₡1,875

-11.30%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$2.64 ₡1,193

-36.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$1.86 ₡838

-31.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$3.37 ₡1,521

-5.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$4.50 ₡2,029

18.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$2.40 ₡1,083

-28.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$2.84 ₡1,283

7.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$2.68 ₡1,208

-27.61%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$3.16 ₡1,428

-8.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$11.58 ₡5,226

-5.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$11.34 ₡5,117

-18.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$14.80 ₡6,677

2.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$4.67 ₡2,107

-34.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.75 ₡790

10.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$3.77 ₡1,701

-46.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$3.89 ₡1,756

-40.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$3.21 ₡1,450

-36.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$2.68 ₡1,208

-32.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$1.05 ₡474

40.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$3.02 ₡1,362

-57.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$5.50 ₡2,484

-3.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$17.96 ₡8,105

-10.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$2.33 ₡1,053

-15.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$2.80 ₡1,264

51.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$1.29 ₡580

-75.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$2.49 ₡1,123

-26.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$1.37 ₡618

-61.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$9.86 ₡4,448

-46.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$1.62 ₡731

-6.79%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$37.4K ₡16.9M

-41.76%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$42.0K ₡19.0M

-42.95%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$100 ₡45.2K

-37.15%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$30.43 ₡13.7K

-9.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$52.6 ₡23.7K

-32.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$58.8 ₡26.5K

0.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$7.48 ₡3,374

-14.44%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$778 ₡350.9K

-44.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$17.2K ₡7.8M

-33.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$64.4 ₡29.1K

5.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$63.7 ₡28.7K

-16.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$135 ₡61.1K

-20.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$148 ₡66.8K

-20.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$905 ₡408.5K

22.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$640 ₡288.8K

11.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$2,161 ₡975.1K

19.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$1,210 ₡545.9K

16.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$1,959 ₡883.9K

85.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$1,479 ₡667.4K

-36.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

8.62

31.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Acosta: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Acosta

$640 37.4% 9.9% $70

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Acosta

$389 22.7% 21.6% $69

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Acosta

$227 13.3% 14.4% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Acosta

$185 10.8% 18.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Acosta

$183 10.7% 45.4% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Acosta

$74 4.3% 2.8% $2

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Acosta

$14 * 0.9% 43.2% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $905 in Acosta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acosta pays 56% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $57 in Acosta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $389 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇷 Acosta

🕒 Local time

14:49 2:49 PM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

3,072

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, 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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Acosta 1,930 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Acosta

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 Acosta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,712 in Acosta, so Mexico City is about 6% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Mexico City. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $905 in Acosta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Acosta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $1,712 in Acosta – Mexico City is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mexico City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Mexico City wins on affordability, Acosta on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.