Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Antofagasta

For one person, living is cheaper in Antofagasta: $888 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,567
/mo nomad
Antofagasta
🇨🇱 Chile
$888
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $888 in Antofagasta.

  • Mexico City $1,567
  • Antofagasta $888

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $1,416 in Antofagasta.

  • Mexico City $2,450
  • Antofagasta $1,416

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $1,944 in Antofagasta.

  • Mexico City $3,333
  • Antofagasta $1,944

Living in Mexico City is roughly 77% more expensive than in Antofagasta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Antofagasta is 34% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Antofagasta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.75 MX$199
$7.05 CLP 6,935
52.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.3 MX$929
$35.93 CLP 35.4K
39.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.10 MX$205
$7.29 CLP 7,179
52.26%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$2.57 CLP 2,528
43.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 MX$30.42
$1.28 CLP 1,264
28.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.08
$0.88 CLP 862
47.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.32 MX$61.3
$1.51 CLP 1,488
119.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 MX$102
$1.79 CLP 1,765
209.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Antofagasta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.77 MX$32.68
$1.07 CLP 1,054
65.42%
White Bread (500g)
$3.05 MX$56.4
$1.86 CLP 1,834
63.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.20
$1.22 CLP 1,199
64.75%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$51.1
$2.59 CLP 2,553
6.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.91 MX$220
$9.02 CLP 8,878
32.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 MX$172
$3.31 CLP 3,260
181.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.02 MX$278
$7.72 CLP 7,599
94.56%
Apples (1kg)
$3.08 MX$56.8
$2.03 CLP 1,996
51.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.97
$2.26 CLP 2,223
-13.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.54
$2.85 CLP 2,809
-28.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.21 MX$40.92
$1.10 CLP 1,081
100.91%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.41
$0.88 CLP 864
129.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.67
$0.78 CLP 772
133.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$1.30 CLP 1,283
16.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.65
$1.12 CLP 1,102
14.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.27 MX$97.4
$5.29 CLP 5,209
-0.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.12 MX$298
$5.13 CLP 5,048
214.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 MX$36.05
$1.35 CLP 1,328
44.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$78.6
$1.01 CLP 992
320.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Antofagasta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.82
$0.62 CLP 613
-50.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.85 MX$367
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.93
$2.63 CLP 2,584
-23.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.86
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.62 MX$104
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$1.34 CLP 1,318
13.43%
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
$17.5K CLP 17.2M
43.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Antofagasta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.5 MX$1,155
$46.23 CLP 45.5K
35.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.77 MX$532
$9.82 CLP 9,669
192.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.45 MX$637
$12.54 CLP 12.3K
174.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Antofagasta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,055
$41.34 CLP 40.7K
38.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.81 MX$458
$25.15 CLP 24.8K
-1.35%
Cinema Ticket
$6.67 MX$123
$5.17 CLP 5,086
29.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Antofagasta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$431 MX$7,964
$255 CLP 250.6K
69.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.7K MX$216.9K
$3,160 CLP 3.1M
271.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Antofagasta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.8 MX$1,308
$39.01 CLP 38.4K
81.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.8 MX$958
$15.18 CLP 14.9K
241.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 MX$2,011
$58.3 CLP 57.4K
86.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 MX$2,076
$67.7 CLP 66.6K
65.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Antofagasta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,051 MX$19.4K
$437 CLP 430.0K
140.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 MX$12.3K
$359 CLP 352.9K
85.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,346 MX$43.3K
$811 CLP 798.7K
189.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,227 MX$22.7K
$659 CLP 648.9K
86.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,554 MX$65.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,977 MX$36.5K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Antofagasta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$975 MX$18.0K
$711 CLP 700.2K
37.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
0
-

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Antofagasta: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$665
Antofagasta
$359 46.1% $306
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$323
Antofagasta
$194 39.9% $129
Eating Out
Mexico City
$203
Antofagasta
$129 36.5% $74
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$155
Antofagasta
$81 47.6% $74
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Antofagasta
$69 45.4% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Antofagasta
$52 26.6% $19
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Antofagasta
$5.1 * 80.1% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Mexico City and $437 in Antofagasta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 37% 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: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $36.00 in Antofagasta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $194 per month, with Antofagasta cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇨🇱 Antofagasta
🕒 Local time
13:35 1:35 PM
16:35 4:35 PM
3 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
348,517
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

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).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Antofagasta 5,710 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Antofagasta

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 Antofagasta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mexico City or Antofagasta?
Antofagasta wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Antofagasta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Mexico City or in Antofagasta?
Average pay runs 37% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Mexico City compared to Antofagasta?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $437 in Antofagasta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Mexico City and in Antofagasta?
Childcare runs $431 in Mexico City versus $255 in Antofagasta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Mexico City and in Antofagasta?
Dining out is cheaper in Antofagasta – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $50.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Mexico City or in Antofagasta?
At $888 in Antofagasta versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Antofagasta but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Antofagasta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Mexico City or Antofagasta?
Both work as nomad bases, but Antofagasta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $888 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Antofagasta hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Antofagasta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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