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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,166 in Atsugi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,863 in Atsugi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,560 in Atsugi.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 26% more expensive than Atsugi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Atsugi is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.19 ¥1,310

60.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$27.23 ¥4,355

97.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.36 ¥1,017

48.11%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.02 ¥324

75.74%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.05 ¥168

54.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.75 ¥121

48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.93 ¥469

6.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.15 ¥505

46.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.67 ¥268

1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.81 ¥290

50.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$4.95 ¥792

-61.41%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.16 ¥346

17.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$17.46 ¥2,793

-42.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.73 ¥756

71.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$15.75 ¥2,520

-26.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$5.64 ¥902

-47.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$2.09 ¥334

-13.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$4.10 ¥656

-50.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$2.98 ¥476

-31.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$2.63 ¥420

-19.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$2.02 ¥322

12.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.33 ¥212

5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.94 ¥150

20.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.49 ¥558

22.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$9.24 ¥1,478

68.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.78 ¥285

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.36 ¥378

52.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$2.90 ¥464

-86.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$48.59 ¥7,772

-60.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$3.56 ¥570

-61.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$3.02 ¥483

-90.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$10.33 ¥1,652

-47.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.19 ¥191

9.24%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$13.8K ¥2.2M

35.42%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$16.7K ¥2.7M

38.76%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$143 ¥22.9K

-71.40%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$15.29 ¥2,446

75.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$33.50 ¥5,358

-10.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$68.6 ¥11.0K

-24.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$13.98 ¥2,236

91.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$12.27 ¥1,962

-48.66%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$343 ¥54.8K

27.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$6,697 ¥1.1M

55.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$42.62 ¥6,817

32.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$25.52 ¥4,081

73.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$55.9 ¥8,937

84.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$34.15 ¥5,462

208.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$421 ¥67.4K

142.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$275 ¥44.0K

129.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$861 ¥137.7K

148.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$650 ¥103.9K

91.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$3,656 ¥584.7K

-69.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

1.78

537.08%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Atsugi: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $421 in Atsugi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Atsugi pays 228% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Atsugi. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $319, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 26% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,166 including rent). Atsugi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Atsugi earns 228% less. 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $421 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 $27.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,467 per month in Mexico City versus $1,166 in Atsugi – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,166 in Atsugi versus $1,467 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 26% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.