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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Mexico City versus $3,455 in Ashgabat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,619 in Mexico City versus $5,062 in Ashgabat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,581 in Mexico City versus $6,669 in Ashgabat.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 52% less than in Ashgabat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 22% above, Ashgabat 155% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$204

$30.94 TMT 104

-61.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.4 MX$896

$86.9 TMT 292

-39.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 MX$181

$12.89 TMT 43.30

-17.92%

Cappuccino

$3.90 MX$66.7

$6.89 TMT 23.14

-43.40%

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

$1.69 MX$28.86

$1.53 TMT 5.13

10.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.65

$0.83 TMT 2.79

59.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 MX$56.3

$5.63 TMT 18.90

-41.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 MX$96.4

$13.41 TMT 45.05

-58.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 MX$30.48

$4.48 TMT 15.05

-60.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 MX$53.3

$2.10 TMT 7.05

48.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.23

$5.72 TMT 19.21

-63.99%

Eggs

$3.02 MX$51.7

$5.92 TMT 19.88

-48.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.73 MX$218

$37.65 TMT 127

-66.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.86 MX$169

$19.60 TMT 65.9

-49.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 MX$267

$23.29 TMT 78.3

-33.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 MX$58.4

$5.09 TMT 17.12

-33.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.43

$8.65 TMT 29.06

-76.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.74

$7.54 TMT 25.34

-72.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 MX$40.65

$3.72 TMT 12.48

-36.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 MX$36.14

$2.34 TMT 7.85

-9.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.84

$1.46 TMT 4.91

27.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.51

$2.69 TMT 9.04

-42.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.78

$1.12 TMT 3.78

18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$91.5

$26.04 TMT 87.5

-79.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.21 MX$295

$41.33 TMT 139

-58.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$34.55

$5.05 TMT 16.98

-60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 MX$80.9

$2.78 TMT 9.35

70.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.29

$0.15 TMT 0.49

146.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.51 MX$351

$9.86 TMT 33.12

108.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 MX$34.11

$2.81 TMT 9.44

-29.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 MX$9.48

$0.90 TMT 3.02

-38.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 MX$96.6

$8.71 TMT 29.25

-35.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$26.22

$0.42 TMT 1.40

264.29%

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

$22.7K MX$388.9K

$43.1K TMT 144.9K

-47.30%

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

$26.2K MX$448.6K

$56.5K TMT 190.0K

-53.64%

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

$65.7 MX$1,124

$580 TMT 1,950

-88.69%

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

$30.37 MX$520

$56.6 TMT 190

-46.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.54 MX$608

$104 TMT 351

-65.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 MX$975

$194 TMT 653

-70.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.18 MX$448

$44.16 TMT 148

-40.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 MX$116

$8.54 TMT 28.69

-20.96%

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

$449 MX$7,681

$22.63 TMT 76.1

1883.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$228.5K

$25.2K TMT 84.8K

-47.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 MX$1,257

$56.8 TMT 191

29.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.9 MX$922

$115 TMT 387

-53.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$1,900

$368 TMT 1,235

-69.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,088

$189 TMT 636

-35.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 MX$18.7K

$1,145 TMT 3,848

-4.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 MX$12.0K

$984 TMT 3,307

-28.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 MX$42.3K

$2,261 TMT 7,598

9.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.2K

$1,904 TMT 6,397

-31.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,904 MX$66.8K

$3,518 TMT 11.8K

11.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,117 MX$36.2K

$2,915 TMT 9,794

-27.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,081 MX$18.5K

$747 TMT 2,510

44.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

9.5

19.47%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 1, 2026

Last update for Ashgabat: August 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,090 in Mexico City and $1,145 in Ashgabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $87.0 in Ashgabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $667 per month, with Mexico City 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 Ashgabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Ashgabat differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $3,455 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% 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: $1,090 in Mexico City versus $1,145 in Ashgabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $449 in Mexico City versus $22.63 in Ashgabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 97% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,656 in Mexico City versus $3,455 in Ashgabat, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Ashgabat 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.