Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ahuachapan

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $1,848 in Ahuachapan, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ahuachapan outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Ahuachapan
Learn more

Ahuachapan Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Ahuachapan

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Mexico City vs $1,848 in Ahuachapan, rent included.

Mexico City $1,548
Ahuachapan $1,848

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Mexico City vs $2,014 in Ahuachapan, rent included.

Mexico City $2,436
Ahuachapan $2,014

A family of three spends $3,323 per month in Mexico City vs $2,180 in Ahuachapan, rent included.

Mexico City $3,323
Ahuachapan $2,180

Mexico City is about 16% cheaper than Ahuachapan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Mexico City and Ahuachapan sit above the global median – Mexico City by 14%, Ahuachapan by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$205

$6.83 $6.83

61.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$908

$44.44 $44.44

9.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$203

$7.11 $7.11

53.31%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.7

$3.61 $3.61

1.94%

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

$1.63 MX$30.46

$1.12 $1.12

45.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.28

$0.81 $0.81

54.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.6

$1.98 $1.98

64.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$103

$3.49 $3.49

58.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.78

$1.81 $1.81

-6.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$56.3

$2.81 $2.81

7.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.86

$1.39 $1.39

38.13%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$51.0

$3.01 $3.01

-9.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$220

$7.58 $7.58

55.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$178

$6.83 $6.83

39.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$269

$10.36 $10.36

39.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$56.3

$4.95 $4.95

-38.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.33

$1.38 $1.38

36.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$37.03

$2.55 $2.55

-21.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.75

$3.43 $3.43

-36.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.75

$2.90 $2.90

-33.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.81

$3.20 $3.20

-41.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.86

$0.95 $0.95

51.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.60

$0.91 $0.91

39.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$97.3

$3.88 $3.88

34.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$302

$11.96 $11.96

35.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.35

$2.21 $2.21

-14.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.7

$2.94 $2.94

43.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$366

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$37.23

$6.05 $6.05

-66.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.76

$3.05 $3.05

-82.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$99.6

$19.82 $19.82

-73.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.39

$1.25 $1.25

21.60%

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

$22.1K MX$411.7K

$25.0K $25.0K

-11.71%

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

$24.5K MX$457.1K

$27.1K $27.1K

-9.55%

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

$61.1 MX$1,139

$131 $131

-53.42%

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

$28.58 MX$533

$21.53 $21.53

32.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$643

$42.30 $42.30

-18.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,051

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$124

$4.94 $4.94

34.82%

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

$427 MX$7,964

$164 $164

160.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$217.0K

$4,777 $4,777

143.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,264

$67.6 $67.6

0.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$969

$46.64 $46.64

11.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,977

$117 $117

-9.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,099

$119 $119

-5.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$19.1K

$530 $530

93.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.2K

$1,038 $1,038

-36.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$43.0K

$364 $364

533.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$23.2K

$389 $389

219.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$67.4K

$3,064 $3,064

17.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$36.1K

$1,291 $1,291

49.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$18.0K

$552 $552

74.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

8.5

32.94%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Ahuachapan: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Ahuachapan

$1K 56.2% 58.6% $384

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Ahuachapan

$283 15.3% 11.1% $35

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Ahuachapan

$144 7.8% 29.5% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Ahuachapan

$158 8.5% 3.5% $5.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Ahuachapan

$195 10.6% 57.1% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Ahuachapan

$9.9 * 0.5% 85.8% $60

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Ahuachapan

$21 * 1.2% 16.9% $4.3

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 $530 in Ahuachapan. 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 75% higher in Mexico City, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Mexico City versus $44 in Ahuachapan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $283 – making Ahuachapan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇸🇻 Ahuachapan

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

110,511

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 18.65 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.92 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Ahuachapan 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Ahuachapan

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 Ahuachapan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City, $1,848 in Ahuachapan – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Mexico City and $2,772 in Ahuachapan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ahuachapan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $530 there versus $1,025 in Mexico City.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,548 in Mexico City and $1,848 in Ahuachapan. That’s a gap of about 19%.

Kindergarten costs $427 per month in Mexico City and $164 in Ahuachapan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,548 in Mexico City to $1,848 in Ahuachapan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.