Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ayacucho

For one person, living is cheaper in Ayacucho: $474 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ayacucho
Learn more

Ayacucho Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Ayacucho

🇵🇪 Peru

$474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $474 in Ayacucho.

Mexico City $1,608
Ayacucho $474

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $766 in Ayacucho.

Mexico City $2,549
Ayacucho $766

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,058 in Ayacucho.

Mexico City $3,490
Ayacucho $1,058

Living in Mexico City is roughly 239% more expensive than in Ayacucho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Ayacucho is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$1.69 PEN 5.82

528.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$1.78 PEN 6.12

107.30%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$0.91 PEN 3.14

83.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$0.30 PEN 1.04

323.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$1.47 PEN 5.08

117.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$4.38 PEN 15.09

21.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$0.56 PEN 1.93

246.43%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$1.79 PEN 6.17

61.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$2.95 PEN 10.18

271.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$4.27 PEN 14.73

116.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$5.66 PEN 19.50

167.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$1.18 PEN 4.08

158.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$0.57 PEN 1.96

240.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$0.60 PEN 2.09

238.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$0.56 PEN 1.93

312.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$0.30 PEN 1.05

580.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$0.30 PEN 1.04

500.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$0.28 PEN 0.95

428.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$0.88 PEN 3.03

44.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$5.90 PEN 20.32

172.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$2.98 PEN 10.27

-33.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$4.40 PEN 15.16

-3.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$0.61 PEN 2.10

-49.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$35.47 PEN 122

-44.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$2.26 PEN 7.80

-18.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$1.15 PEN 3.95

-53.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$4.31 PEN 14.85

22.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$1.71 PEN 5.88

-11.70%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$9,956 PEN 34.3K

118.49%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$12.3K PEN 42.5K

94.69%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

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

$27.39 MX$511

$11.47 PEN 39.52

138.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$17.16 PEN 59.2

107.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$14.48 PEN 49.91

307.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$29.41 PEN 101

-19.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$4.44 PEN 15.31

44.14%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$72.4 PEN 250

495.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$17.29 PEN 59.6

294.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$26.45 PEN 91.2

100.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$102 PEN 353

5.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$103 PEN 355

13.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$342 PEN 1,180

225.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$88.5 PEN 305

703.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$861 PEN 2,968

200.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$232 PEN 799

506.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$1,884 PEN 6,493

92.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$1,739 PEN 5,995

22.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$471 PEN 1,624

100.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ayacucho: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Ayacucho

$88 18.7% 87.6% $622

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Ayacucho

$120 * 25.3% 62.5% $200

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Ayacucho

$56 * 11.8% 71.9% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Ayacucho

$112 23.6% 28.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Ayacucho

$29 * 6% 77.3% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Ayacucho

$23 4.9% 67.4% $48

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Ayacucho

$46 9.7% 80.3% $20

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 $1,113 in Mexico City and $342 in Ayacucho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 2 times more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇪 Ayacucho

🕒 Local time

17:07 5:07 PM

18:07 6:07 PM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

99,427

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.261 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.45 PEN (1 PEN = 0.29 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.261 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Ayacucho 4,540 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Ayacucho

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 Ayacucho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ayacucho wins on cost – living expenses run 71% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ayacucho the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Mexico City is about 2 times higher, 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $342 in Ayacucho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $72 in Ayacucho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 44% less than in Ayacucho. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $474 in Ayacucho versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $800 budget is realistic in Ayacucho but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ayacucho 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.

It comes down to priorities – Ayacucho wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.