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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $545 in Anshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $879 in Anshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,212 in Anshan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 167% more expensive than in Anshan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Anshan is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$3.53 ¥23.88

270.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$17.35 ¥117

209.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.11 ¥27.75

135.52%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.91 ¥19.65

28.52%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.30 ¥2.00

440.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.22 ¥1.49

427.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$0.73 ¥4.94

342.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$1.50 ¥10.11

216.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.59 ¥10.77

3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.17 ¥7.88

135.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$0.34 ¥2.29

450.00%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.94 ¥13.13

28.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$8.29 ¥56.0

23.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$1.64 ¥11.11

403.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$8.43 ¥56.9

40.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.00 ¥6.74

201.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.10 ¥7.40

64.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.08 ¥7.31

85.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$0.70 ¥4.76

185.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.27 ¥1.80

670.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.77 ¥5.18

194.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.60 ¥4.04

143.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.44 ¥2.94

145.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.40 ¥22.95

27.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$7.45 ¥50.3

128.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$0.73 ¥4.94

136.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.41 ¥9.54

153.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.27 ¥1.80

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$16.88 ¥114

10.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.99 ¥6.72

34.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.33 ¥2.20

-15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$4.09 ¥27.67

28.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.03 ¥6.94

30.10%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$18.2K ¥123.0K

6.60%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$13.8K ¥93.6K

72.08%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$27.80 ¥188

46.37%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$7.02 ¥47.44

282.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$11.55 ¥78.1

164.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$28.07 ¥190

88.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$14.08 ¥95.2

89.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$5.45 ¥36.86

19.45%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$208 ¥1,405

105.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$9,652 ¥65.2K

8.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$35.38 ¥239

61.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$34.68 ¥234

31.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$82.5 ¥558

26.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$68.9 ¥466

56.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$141 ¥955

609.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$113 ¥760

453.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$279 ¥1,884

656.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$208 ¥1,403

486.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$3,025 ¥20.4K

28.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,860 ¥12.6K

9.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$918 ¥6,205

13.02%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Anshan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $141 in Anshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 13% 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 $292 vs $146 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 167% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $141 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 $1,456 per month in Mexico City versus $545 in Anshan – a 167% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $545 in Anshan versus $1,456 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 167% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.