Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ajijic

For one person, living is cheaper in Ajijic: $1,327 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Ajijic
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Ajijic Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Ajijic

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,327

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $1,327 in Ajijic, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Ajijic $1,327

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $2,083 in Ajijic, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Ajijic $2,083

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $2,840 in Ajijic, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Ajijic $2,840

Mexico City costs about 21% more than Ajijic, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Ajijic is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$9.36 MX$175

13.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$42.80 MX$798

12.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$6.89 MX$128

50.22%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$3.53 MX$65.9

4.53%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$1.58 MX$29.39

5.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$1.16 MX$21.60

9.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$2.18 MX$40.70

46.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$3.29 MX$61.3

61.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$1.43 MX$26.63

20.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$2.18 MX$40.67

39.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.09 MX$20.41

77.98%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$2.25 MX$41.90

28.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$7.96 MX$148

37.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$8.19 MX$153

12.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$7.07 MX$132

114.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$2.17 MX$40.47

40.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.30 MX$24.31

49.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$1.52 MX$28.42

33.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$1.68 MX$31.26

37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$1.51 MX$28.05

35.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$1.39 MX$25.84

29.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$1.02 MX$19.03

45.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$0.88 MX$16.39

44.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$4.43 MX$82.6

19.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$8.58 MX$160

87.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$1.50 MX$27.97

32.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$1.30 MX$24.17

226.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$0.68 MX$12.60

-54.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$57.9 MX$1,079

-65.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$1.24 MX$23.14

48.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$4.23 MX$78.8

-87.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$10.75 MX$200

-50.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$1.48 MX$27.51

2.03%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$24.6K MX$459.4K

-11.73%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$23.6K MX$440.7K

1.45%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$55.2 MX$1,030

14.01%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$14.17 MX$264

93.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$24.59 MX$458

45.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$24.01 MX$448

145.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$5.27 MX$98.2

348.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$4.77 MX$88.9

34.17%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$211 MX$3,935

104.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$2,800 MX$52.2K

307.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$42.69 MX$796

59.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$16.24 MX$303

227.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$66.4 MX$1,238

62.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$69.5 MX$1,296

68.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$844 MX$15.7K

31.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$644 MX$12.0K

10.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$1,509 MX$28.1K

71.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$1,248 MX$23.3K

12.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$3,324 MX$62.0K

9.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$1,782 MX$33.2K

19.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$548 MX$10.2K

72.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

11.2

1.34%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ajijic: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Ajijic

$644 48.6% 9.3% $66

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Ajijic

$218 16.4% 31.8% $102

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Ajijic

$166 12.5% 16.2% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Ajijic

$88 6.6% 43.7% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Ajijic

$94 7.1% 25.4% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Ajijic

$34 2.5% 53.2% $38

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Ajijic

$83 6.3% 226% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $844 in Ajijic. 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 73% higher in Mexico City. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $43 in Ajijic. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $218 – making Ajijic the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇽 Ajijic

🕒 Local time

15:35 3:35 PM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

11,439

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Ajijic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $1,990 in Ajijic. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ajijic, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $844 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $43 in Ajijic. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,327 in Ajijic. That makes Ajijic about 17% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ajijic, where all-in costs run around $1,327, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Ajijic it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ajijic – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ajijic. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.