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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,142 in Atsugi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $2,094 in Atsugi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $3,045 in Atsugi.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 45% more expensive than in Atsugi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Atsugi is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$8.06 ¥1,258

47.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$26.28 ¥4,103

96.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$5.30 ¥828

115.28%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$1.88 ¥294

112.23%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.00 ¥157

66.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.73 ¥115

82.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$2.67 ¥417

29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$3.27 ¥511

80.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.59 ¥249

18.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.59 ¥249

104.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$4.30 ¥672

-49.77%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.03 ¥318

42.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$15.94 ¥2,489

-19.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.59 ¥717

118.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$12.34 ¥1,926

28.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$5.51 ¥861

-40.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$2.00 ¥312

0.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$3.95 ¥616

-44.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$2.73 ¥426

-13.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$2.69 ¥420

-23.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$2.03 ¥316

-6.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.16 ¥181

38.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.92 ¥143

52.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$3.62 ¥566

50.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$9.82 ¥1,534

79.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.66 ¥259

24.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$2.22 ¥346

110.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$2.66 ¥415

-87.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$58.7 ¥9,167

-64.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$3.31 ¥517

-36.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$2.96 ¥462

-81.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$9.68 ¥1,511

-39.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.09 ¥170

47.71%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$13.1K ¥2.0M

74.83%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$15.7K ¥2.5M

70.32%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$117 ¥18.2K

-44.07%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$14.80 ¥2,312

103.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$31.54 ¥4,925

17.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$52.2 ¥8,147

14.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

$7.64 ¥1,193

247.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$11.56 ¥1,805

-39.10%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$320 ¥49.9K

45.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$6,174 ¥964.2K

115.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$41.85 ¥6,535

81.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$24.32 ¥3,797

130.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$54.7 ¥8,534

104.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$32.37 ¥5,055

272.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$515 ¥80.4K

114.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$331 ¥51.6K

118.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$1,029 ¥160.7K

145.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$1,269 ¥198.1K

1.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$3,600 ¥562.2K

10.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$1,563 ¥244.1K

33.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$3,867 ¥603.9K

-73.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

1.66

580.72%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Atsugi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $515 in Atsugi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Atsugi pays 273% 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 $26.00 in Atsugi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $294 per month, with Atsugi 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 Atsugi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Atsugi differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,142 including rent). Atsugi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 273% lower in Atsugi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $515 in Atsugi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Atsugi – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,660 per month in Mexico City versus $1,142 in Atsugi – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,142 in Atsugi versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Atsugi but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Atsugi 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 Atsugi 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 Atsugi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.