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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $850 in Apia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $2,339 in Apia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $3,828 in Apia.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 97% more expensive than in Apia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Apia is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$46.91 WST 128

-74.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$37.30 WST 102

44.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$14.68 WST 40.11

-24.46%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.96 WST 8.09

38.51%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.85 WST 5.05

-9.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$1.40 WST 3.81

-0.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$3.55 WST 9.71

-6.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$3.56 WST 9.73

65.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.78 WST 4.86

3.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.81 WST 2.21

291.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.87 WST 5.11

10.70%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$4.39 WST 12.01

-33.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$0.88 WST 2.42

1330.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$3.76 WST 10.27

168.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$8.20 WST 22.42

96.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$5.05 WST 13.80

-32.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.85 WST 5.07

12.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.79 WST 4.90

18.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$4.51 WST 12.33

-46.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$3.76 WST 10.27

-43.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.12 WST 3.06

79.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$1.23 WST 3.37

10.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$6.14 WST 16.78

-6.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$16.43 WST 44.92

7.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.79 WST 4.89

15.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$3.59 WST 9.82

28.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$3.76 WST 10.28

-90.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$5.64 WST 15.43

-63.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$5.45 WST 14.91

-89.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$21.64 WST 59.1

-71.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.11 WST 3.04

39.64%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$17.98 WST 49.15

274.92%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$18.52 WST 50.6

65.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$37.30 WST 102

-0.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

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

$456 MX$7,739

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$1,823 WST 4,984

-28.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Apia: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $37.00 in Apia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $240 per month, with Apia 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 Apia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Apia wins on cost – living expenses run 97% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Apia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,515 in Mexico City and $1,275 in Apia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you'll spend $1,677 per month in Mexico City versus $850 in Apia – a 97% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $850 in Apia versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Apia but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Apia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Apia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $850 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Apia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Apia 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 Apia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.