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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $562 in Anshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $883 in Anshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,205 in Anshan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 161% more expensive than Anshan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Anshan is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.55 ¥23.99

271.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$17.30 ¥117

211.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.27 ¥28.85

120.61%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.81 ¥19.00

26.33%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.32 ¥2.20

406.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.22 ¥1.49

404.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$0.68 ¥4.57

358.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.55 ¥10.51

198.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.59 ¥10.76

6.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.15 ¥7.79

136.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$0.37 ¥2.48

416.22%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.03 ¥13.70

25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$8.23 ¥55.6

21.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$1.62 ¥10.98

399.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.24 ¥55.7

41.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$0.98 ¥6.65

203.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.10 ¥7.44

64.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.08 ¥7.32

86.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$0.72 ¥4.85

181.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.27 ¥1.82

685.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$0.77 ¥5.21

194.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.60 ¥4.03

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.43 ¥2.94

162.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.51 ¥23.71

21.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$11.40 ¥77.1

36.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$0.67 ¥4.52

162.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.36 ¥9.23

164.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.27 ¥1.82

40.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$16.69 ¥113

14.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.93 ¥6.26

48.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.33 ¥2.22

-15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$3.99 ¥26.96

36.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.03 ¥6.95

26.21%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$18.1K ¥122.2K

3.38%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$13.9K ¥93.7K

66.97%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$27.67 ¥187

47.67%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$6.90 ¥46.67

288.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$11.30 ¥76.4

165.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$27.61 ¥187

88.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$13.69 ¥92.6

96.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.69 ¥38.47

10.72%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$207 ¥1,402

110.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$9,333 ¥63.1K

11.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$34.30 ¥232

65.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$34.89 ¥236

27.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$84.9 ¥574

21.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$69.0 ¥467

52.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$139 ¥940

634.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$114 ¥768

455.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$275 ¥1,857

677.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$205 ¥1,389

504.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,785 ¥18.8K

40.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,790 ¥12.1K

15.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$940 ¥6,359

18.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

467.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Anshan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $139 in Anshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 19% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $17.00 in Anshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $153 per month, with Anshan cheaper across the board.

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 Anshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Anshan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 161% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 19% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $139 in Anshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Anshan – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,467 per month in Mexico City versus $562 in Anshan – a 161% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $562 in Anshan versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Anshan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Anshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Anshan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Anshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 161% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.