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 $1,467 per month in Mexico City vs $458 in Aja, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,371 per month in Mexico City vs $744 in Aja, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,274 per month in Mexico City vs $1,029 in Aja, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 221% more than Aja, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 10% above the global median, while Aja is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.63 E£188

263.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$15.93 E£827

238.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.66 E£242

102.15%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$1.43 E£74.4

148.25%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.31 E£16.17

422.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.10 E£4.97

1010.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.20 E£62.5

160.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.05 E£158

51.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$0.91 E£47.32

86.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.62 E£32.40

338.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$0.65 E£33.56

193.85%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.45 E£75.5

75.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$3.40 E£177

195.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.36 E£226

85.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.78 E£456

32.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.43 E£74.4

107.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$0.59 E£30.49

206.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$0.39 E£20.30

415.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$0.37 E£19.10

448.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$0.38 E£19.49

457.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$0.40 E£20.93

467.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.24 E£12.52

483.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.18 E£9.22

527.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$2.00 E£104

113.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$6.36 E£330

144.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.35 E£70.1

30.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.86 E£96.7

93.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.20 E£10.52

90.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.42 E£21.72

228.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.29 E£14.86

-3.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$2.02 E£105

169.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$0.31 E£15.85

319.35%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$35.6K E£1.8M

-47.54%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$33.8K E£1.8M

-31.50%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$11.90 E£618

243.36%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$6.44 E£334

316.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$10.67 E£554

180.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$22.13 E£1,148

135.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$2.97 E£154

112.12%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$89.4 E£4,640

387.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$1,825 E£94.7K

470.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$27.84 E£1,445

103.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$49.14 E£2,551

-9.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$107 E£5,544

-3.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$50.2 E£2,604

110.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$191 E£9,930

434.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$101 E£5,264

521.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$308 E£16.0K

593.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$177 E£9,162

604.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$794 E£41.2K

391.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$410 E£21.3K

403.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$313 E£16.2K

256.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

16.67

-31.97%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Aja: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,022 in Mexico City versus $191 in Aja. 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 257% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City versus $16.00 in Aja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $124 – 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 221% 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 $2,201 per month in Mexico City and $687 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 $1,467 in Mexico City and $458 in Aja. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $436 per month in Mexico City and $89.4 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 $458, than in Mexico City at $1,467. 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 $458 versus $1,467 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.