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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,646 per month in Mexico City vs $450 in Aja, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,613 per month in Mexico City vs $718 in Aja, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,580 per month in Mexico City vs $987 in Aja, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 266% more than Aja, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 20% above the global median, while Aja is 67% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$4.21 E£214

187.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$885

$13.85 E£705

277.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$185

$4.83 E£246

125.67%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.7

$1.48 E£75.4

173.65%

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

$1.72 MX$29.06

$0.37 E£18.83

364.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.34

$0.14 E£7.17

885.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.7

$1.29 E£65.6

168.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.5

$2.83 E£144

105.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.40

$0.98 E£49.99

88.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.6

$0.61 E£30.98

427.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.33

$0.73 E£37.24

186.30%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.28

$1.41 E£71.6

106.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$212

$3.32 E£169

276.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$4.06 E£206

149.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$9.03 E£459

75.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.2

$1.70 E£86.4

94.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.03

$0.77 E£39.24

176.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.11

$0.51 E£25.84

329.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.46

$0.40 E£20.15

512.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.08

$0.37 E£18.65

491.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.27

$0.32 E£16.52

493.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$0.27 E£13.70

500.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.87

$0.22 E£11.11

513.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.9

$2.25 E£114

141.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$298

$7.44 E£379

136.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.03

$1.25 E£63.5

65.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.4

$2.43 E£124

95.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.76

$0.21 E£10.63

61.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$366

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.57

$0.37 E£18.90

451.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.23 E£11.91

152.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$1.70 E£86.7

251.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$0.43 E£21.63

276.74%

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

$22.8K MX$386.4K

$34.4K E£1.8M

-33.69%

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

$26.7K MX$451.7K

$28.4K E£1.4M

-6.02%

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

$65.2 MX$1,105

$17.64 E£897

269.84%

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

$29.87 MX$506

$6.84 E£348

336.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$619

$13.08 E£665

179.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,033

$19.88 E£1,011

206.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$452

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$2.85 E£145

140.35%

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

$453 MX$7,681

$94.5 E£4,808

379.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.5K

$1,692 E£86.1K

690.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,270

$17.16 E£873

336.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$937

$49.94 E£2,540

10.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,925

$102 E£5,165

11.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,078

$49.06 E£2,495

150.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$129 E£6,539

781.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.1K

$79.7 E£4,053

793.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.6K

$279 E£14.2K

822.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$144 E£7,341

808.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.6K

$856 E£43.6K

366.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.5K

$413 E£21.0K

407.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

16.21

-30.29%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Aja: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,134 in Mexico City versus $129 in Aja. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Mexico City versus $14.00 in Aja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $130 – making Aja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Aja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 266% more than Aja, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,469 per month in Mexico City and $675 in Aja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,646 in Mexico City and $450 in Aja. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $453 per month in Mexico City and $94.5 in Aja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aja, where all-in costs run around $450, than in Mexico City at $1,646. In Aja 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. Aja costs $450 versus $1,646 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 Aja. 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.