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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $729 in Bago.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,112 in Bago.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,496 in Bago.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 130% more expensive than in Bago, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Bago is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$3.83 ₱240

216.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$916

$16.69 ₱1,047

222.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$2.89 ₱181

283.74%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.6

$2.17 ₱136

88.94%

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

$1.68 MX$28.57

$0.61 ₱38.49

175.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.58

$0.34 ₱21.35

308.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.6

$1.11 ₱69.8

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.9

$1.91 ₱120

207.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.45

$1.69 ₱106

9.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.9

$1.12 ₱70.0

183.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.18

$0.97 ₱61.1

113.40%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.74

$1.86 ₱117

57.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$5.21 ₱327

141.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.20 ₱264

140.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$7.17 ₱450

124.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.6

$2.37 ₱149

43.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.31

$1.57 ₱98.2

32.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.02

$2.40 ₱151

-11.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$41.01

$1.18 ₱74.3

104.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.17

$2.13 ₱133

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.07

$2.03 ₱127

-0.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$0.84 ₱52.5

84.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.19

$0.56 ₱35.11

142.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$98.0

$2.91 ₱182

98.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$8.18 ₱513

116.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.16

$0.98 ₱61.6

111.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.4

$1.96 ₱123

135.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.25 ₱15.53

48.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$360

$11.25 ₱706

88.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.89

$0.78 ₱49.15

162.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.80

$0.25 ₱15.79

132.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$1.98 ₱124

206.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.38

$1.12 ₱70.3

38.39%

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

$22.9K MX$388.6K

$21.7K ₱1.4M

5.45%

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

$27.2K MX$462.7K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

41.14%

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

$67.4 MX$1,145

$123 ₱7,696

-45.08%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$14.93 ₱936

105.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$633

$25.13 ₱1,576

48.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,044

$32.23 ₱2,021

90.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$461

$4.70 ₱295

477.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$5.11 ₱320

39.14%

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

$456 MX$7,750

$131 ₱8,242

247.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.6K

$8,056 ₱505.1K

69.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,260

$32.69 ₱2,050

126.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$969

$19.43 ₱1,218

193.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,961

$71.6 ₱4,492

61.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,064

$56.0 ₱3,513

116.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$269 ₱16.9K

326.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.1K

$174 ₱10.9K

307.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.8K

$503 ₱31.5K

412.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$350 ₱22.0K

269.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$68.0K

$2,640 ₱165.5K

51.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.2K

$1,032 ₱64.7K

106.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.75

67.41%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Bago: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $269 in Bago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $17.00 in Bago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $180 per month, with Bago 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 Bago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bago is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 130% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,515 in Mexico City and $1,093 in Bago 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $269 in Bago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $131 in Bago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 91% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $729 in Bago versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bago but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Bago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bago is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Bago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 130% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.