Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ambato

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambato: $605 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
Learn more

Ambato Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,567 per month in Mexico City vs $605 in Ambato, rent included.

Mexico City $1,567
Ambato $605

A couple spends around $2,450 per month in Mexico City vs $985 in Ambato, rent included.

Mexico City $2,450
Ambato $985

A family of three spends $3,333 per month in Mexico City vs $1,364 in Ambato, rent included.

Mexico City $3,333
Ambato $1,364

Mexico City costs about 159% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 16% above the global median, while Ambato is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$199

$3.46 $3.46

210.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$929

$29.93 $29.93

67.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

$5.32 $5.32

108.65%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$2.76 $2.76

33.33%

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

$1.65 MX$30.42

$0.82 $0.82

101.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$24.08

$0.75 $0.75

73.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$1.96 $1.96

69.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$3.22 $3.22

72.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$0.98 $0.98

80.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$0.98 $0.98

211.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.20

$1.57 $1.57

28.03%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.1

$1.73 $1.73

60.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$220

$5.42 $5.42

119.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$3.05 $3.05

205.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$278

$3.93 $3.93

282.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.8

$1.27 $1.27

142.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.97

$0.88 $0.88

121.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.54

$1.03 $1.03

97.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$1.03 $1.03

114.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.41

$0.77 $0.77

162.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.67

$0.99 $0.99

83.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$0.73 $0.73

108.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

$1.03 $1.03

24.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

$5.15 $5.15

2.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

$8.78 $8.78

83.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

$1.45 $1.45

34.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

$2.81 $2.81

51.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.82

$0.29 $0.29

6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

$14.21 $14.21

39.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$1.39 $1.39

43.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

$1.12 $1.12

-52.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

$9.43 $9.43

-40.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$0.86 $0.86

76.74%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

$23.3K $23.3K

-9.86%

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

$28.1K $28.1K

-10.54%

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

$62.5 MX$1,155

$39.20 $39.20

59.41%

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

$28.77 MX$532

$13.58 $13.58

111.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$637

$26.39 $26.39

30.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,055

$29.76 $29.76

91.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$4.39 $4.39

51.94%

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

$431 MX$7,964

$224 $224

92.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

$2,408 $2,408

387.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,308

$48.25 $48.25

46.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$958

$35.22 $35.22

47.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,011

$71.2 $71.2

52.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,076

$55.5 $55.5

102.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$178 $178

489.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.3K

$124 $124

435.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.3K

$380 $380

516.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.7K

$273 $273

349.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

$1,130 $1,130

214.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

$884 $884

123.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

$679 $679

43.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

25.56%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ambato: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

Ambato

$124 20.5% 81.3% $541

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

Ambato

$147 24.3% 54.5% $176

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

Ambato

$99 16.4% 51.1% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

Ambato

$95 15.6% 38.9% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Ambato

$79 13.1% 37% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Ambato

$39 6.4% 45.3% $32

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

Ambato

$22 3.7% 13.3% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,051 in Mexico City versus $178 in Ambato. 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 43% 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 $30.00 in Ambato. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $147 – making Ambato the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇪🇨 Ambato

🕒 Local time

23:31 11:31 PM

00:31 12:31 AM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

165,185

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Ambato 3,210 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Ambato

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 Ambato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 159% more than Ambato, 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 $908 in Ambato. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ambato, 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 $30.00 in Ambato. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,567 in Mexico City and $605 in Ambato. That's a gap of about 159%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ambato, where all-in costs run around $605, than in Mexico City at $1,567. In Ambato 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. Ambato costs $605 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 Ambato. 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.