Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Aktau

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $793 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,567 per month in Mexico City vs $793 in Aktau, rent included.

Mexico City $1,567
Aktau $793

A couple spends around $2,450 per month in Mexico City vs $1,317 in Aktau, rent included.

Mexico City $2,450
Aktau $1,317

A family of three spends $3,333 per month in Mexico City vs $1,842 in Aktau, rent included.

Mexico City $3,333
Aktau $1,842

Mexico City costs about 98% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 16% above the global median, while Aktau is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$199

$11.07 ₸5,005

-2.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$929

$43.55 ₸19.7K

15.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

$10.17 ₸4,596

9.14%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$2.49 ₸1,128

47.79%

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

$1.65 MX$30.42

$0.74 ₸333

122.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$24.08

$0.48 ₸219

170.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$1.30 ₸586

155.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$1.53 ₸690

262.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$1.41 ₸638

25.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$0.47 ₸211

548.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.20

$1.91 ₸864

5.24%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.1

$1.73 ₸783

60.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$220

$9.87 ₸4,463

20.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$4.24 ₸1,915

120.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$278

$8.95 ₸4,044

67.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.8

$1.53 ₸689

101.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.97

$2.24 ₸1,013

-12.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.54

$2.35 ₸1,064

-13.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$2.80 ₸1,264

-21.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.41

$0.65 ₸295

210.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.67

$0.56 ₸254

225.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$1.55 ₸700

-1.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

$0.94 ₸424

36.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

$2.59 ₸1,172

103.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

$9.54 ₸4,313

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

$0.72 ₸326

170.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

$0.87 ₸393

388.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.82

$0.18 ₸82.6

72.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$1.13 ₸512

76.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

$0.64 ₸290

-17.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$0.63 ₸283

141.27%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

$31.4K ₸14.2M

-19.88%

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

$62.5 MX$1,155

$45.69 ₸20.7K

36.77%

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

$28.77 MX$532

$7.94 ₸3,587

262.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$637

$11.01 ₸4,979

212.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,055

$35.98 ₸16.3K

58.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$3.18 ₸1,437

109.75%

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

$431 MX$7,964

$143 ₸64.8K

200.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

$2,621 ₸1.2M

347.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,308

$66.8 ₸30.2K

6.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$958

$40.67 ₸18.4K

27.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,011

$71.7 ₸32.4K

51.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,076

$89.6 ₸40.5K

25.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$330 ₸149.2K

218.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.3K

$196 ₸88.6K

239.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.3K

$551 ₸249.0K

325.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.7K

$393 ₸177.8K

211.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

$813 ₸367.6K

336.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

$659 ₸297.7K

200.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

$564 ₸254.8K

72.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-19.29%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Aktau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

Aktau

$196 24.7% 70.5% $469

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

Aktau

$200 25.3% 37.9% $122

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

Aktau

$163 20.6% 19.5% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

Aktau

$121 15.3% 21.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Aktau

$65 8.2% 48.6% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Aktau

$42 5.3% 39.9% $28

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

Aktau

$5.1 * 0.6% 80.3% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,051 in Mexico City versus $330 in Aktau. 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, 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 $50.0 in Mexico City versus $44.00 in Aktau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $200 – making Aktau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇰🇿 Aktau

🕒 Local time

05:49 5:49 AM

16:49 4:49 PM

11 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

273,830

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Aktau 12,380 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Aktau

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 Aktau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 98% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,351 per month in Mexico City and $1,189 in Aktau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Mexico City and $44.00 in Aktau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 61% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aktau, where all-in costs run around $793, than in Mexico City at $1,567. In Aktau 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. Aktau costs $793 versus $1,567 in Mexico City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Aktau. 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.