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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $994 in Baabda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,602 in Baabda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,211 in Baabda.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 66% more expensive than in Baabda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Baabda is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$206

$11.95 LBP 1.1M

1.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$887

$63.4 LBP 5.7M

-17.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$185

$10.05 LBP 899.2K

8.46%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.8

$4.63 LBP 414.3K

-12.53%

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

$1.72 MX$29.13

$2.31 LBP 207.0K

-25.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.40

$0.86 LBP 76.8K

60.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.9

$4.90 LBP 438.3K

-29.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.7

$5.09 LBP 455.7K

14.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.48

$1.96 LBP 175.0K

-5.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.7

$0.85 LBP 75.8K

278.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.42

$2.17 LBP 194.0K

-3.69%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.41

$3.49 LBP 312.7K

-16.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$212

$13.30 LBP 1.2M

-6.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$10.74 LBP 961.0K

-5.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$270

$14.08 LBP 1.3M

12.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.3

$3.12 LBP 279.2K

6.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.12

$1.72 LBP 153.7K

23.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.20

$1.66 LBP 148.7K

31.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.57

$1.54 LBP 138.1K

59.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.18

$1.40 LBP 125.6K

56.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.35

$1.65 LBP 147.3K

15.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.44

$1.17 LBP 104.8K

38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.92

$0.72 LBP 64.6K

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$92.1

$2.92 LBP 261.2K

85.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$299

$10.13 LBP 907.1K

73.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.12

$1.28 LBP 114.7K

61.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.6

$2.56 LBP 229.5K

85.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.77

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$366

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.65

$5.14 LBP 460.5K

-60.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.82

$2.23 LBP 199.2K

-73.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$22.28 LBP 2.0M

-73.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.44

$1.04 LBP 93.2K

55.77%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$54.4K LBP 4.9B

-58.06%

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

$26.7K MX$452.8K

$32.7K LBP 2.9B

-18.41%

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

$65.2 MX$1,108

$230 LBP 20.6M

-71.68%

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

$29.87 MX$507

$23.49 LBP 2.1M

27.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$621

$37.89 LBP 3.4M

-3.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,036

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$9.98 LBP 893.3K

-31.36%

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

$453 MX$7,700

$681 LBP 61.0M

-33.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$227.1K

$10.8K LBP 962.2M

24.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,273

$68.0 LBP 6.1M

10.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$939

$49.11 LBP 4.4M

12.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,929

$139 LBP 12.4M

-18.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,083

$121 LBP 10.8M

1.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.73%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Baabda: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $63.0 in Baabda. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $279, with Baabda 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 Baabda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Baabda differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $994 including rent). Baabda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,469 in Mexico City and $1,490 in Baabda to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $681 in Baabda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Baabda – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $994 in Baabda versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Baabda but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Baabda 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.

Expats usually find Baabda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.