Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ba

For one person, living is cheaper in Ba: $93.6 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

🇫🇯 Fiji

$93.6

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $94 in Ba.

Mexico City $1,608
Ba $94

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $209 in Ba.

Mexico City $2,549
Ba $209

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $325 in Ba.

Mexico City $3,490
Ba $325

Living in Mexico City is roughly 1618% more expensive than in Ba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Ba is 93% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$2.04 FJD 4.56

420.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$904

$30.40 FJD 67.8

59.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$6.01 FJD 13.41

72.21%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.0

$1.99 FJD 4.43

85.43%

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

$1.67 MX$31.14

$0.98 FJD 2.18

70.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.65

$0.99 FJD 2.20

28.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.7

$4.12 FJD 9.18

-22.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.2

$3.47 FJD 7.74

53.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.23

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.8

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.0

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$283

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.0

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.85

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.25

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.03

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.63

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.64

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.1

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$301

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.70

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$369

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.34

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.23

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

$21.8K MX$406.5K

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

$24.0K MX$448.2K

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

$63.0 MX$1,177

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

$27.39 MX$512

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$666

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,101

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$442

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

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

$432 MX$8,065

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$213.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,275

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$993

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,014

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,191

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

$399 FJD 890

137.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

183.75%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ba: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

–

Cost Breakdown

Mexico City pays about 2.4 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.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $48 in Mexico City vs $30 in Ba for two.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇫🇯 Ba

🕒 Local time

09:46 9:46 AM

03:46 3:46 AM

18 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

15,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 FJD = 0.448 USD

1 FJD = 0.403 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.23 FJD (1 FJD = 0.448 USD). 1 EUR = 2.48 FJD (1 FJD = 0.403 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Ba 9,970 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Ba

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 Ba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ba wins on cost – living expenses run 94% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Mexico City is about 2.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba – a meal for two runs $30 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $94 in Ba – a 1618% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $94 in Ba versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $800 budget is realistic in Ba but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ba 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 – Ba wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.