Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Antigua Guatemala Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Antigua Guatemala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,281 in Antigua Guatemala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $2,115 in Antigua Guatemala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,950 in Antigua Guatemala.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 14% more expensive than in Antigua Guatemala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Antigua Guatemala is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$5.19 Q 39.52

151.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$53.3 Q 406

0.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$6.35 Q 48.39

52.44%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.42 Q 26.03

9.36%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.19 Q 9.07

36.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.97 Q 7.38

19.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$3.92 Q 29.88

-17.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$4.69 Q 35.70

1.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.91 Q 14.53

-13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$3.18 Q 24.19

-13.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.59 Q 12.09

17.61%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.53 Q 19.30

-1.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$7.46 Q 56.9

36.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$8.45 Q 64.4

-2.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$10.18 Q 77.6

16.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$3.65 Q 27.80

-17.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.52 Q 11.55

19.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$3.15 Q 24.01

-36.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.59 Q 12.11

25.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.75 Q 13.33

18.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.77 Q 13.47

28.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.73 Q 5.58

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.20 Q 9.14

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.56 Q 27.13

22.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$8.07 Q 61.5

110.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.67 Q 12.76

3.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.51 Q 19.15

42.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$2.05 Q 15.60

-80.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$4.71 Q 35.91

-71.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$15.77 Q 120

-66.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.11 Q 8.48

20.72%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$19.4K Q 148.0K

-0.10%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$22.5K Q 171.4K

5.91%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$49.84 Q 380

-18.36%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$26.09 Q 199

2.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$49.09 Q 374

-37.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$40.22 Q 306

31.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$27.79 Q 212

-4.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$7.24 Q 55.2

-10.08%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$249 Q 1,893

72.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$5,856 Q 44.6K

79.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$47.36 Q 361

20.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$54.0 Q 411

-15.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$100 Q 763

3.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$85.9 Q 655

25.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$880 Q 6,701

14.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$551 Q 4,197

13.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$2,034 Q 15.5K

3.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$1,260 Q 9,602

-3.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$3,046 Q 23.2K

27.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,205 Q 9,184

68.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$544 Q 4,142

90.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

8.5

33.41%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Antigua Guatemala: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $880 in Antigua Guatemala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 91% 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 $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $266 per month, with Antigua Guatemala 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 Antigua Guatemala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Antigua Guatemala differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,281 including rent). Antigua Guatemala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 91% 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 $880 in Antigua Guatemala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $249 in Antigua Guatemala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Antigua Guatemala – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,281 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Antigua Guatemala but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Antigua Guatemala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Antigua Guatemala are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Antigua Guatemala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.