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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $784 in Bago.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,196 in Bago.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,607 in Bago.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 87% more expensive than Bago, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Bago is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.60 ₱222

266.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$17.41 ₱1,073

209.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.21 ₱198

193.46%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.39 ₱147

48.54%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.84 ₱51.7

92.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.39 ₱24.32

184.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.35 ₱83.4

131.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.12 ₱130

118.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.90 ₱117

-10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.27 ₱78.3

114.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$0.96 ₱59.1

98.96%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.05 ₱127

23.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$8.12 ₱501

23.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.17 ₱257

94.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.95 ₱490

46.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.96 ₱182

0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.60 ₱98.4

13.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.68 ₱165

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.53 ₱94.6

32.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$2.30 ₱142

-7.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$2.51 ₱155

-9.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.07 ₱65.9

30.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.76 ₱46.58

48.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.78 ₱171

53.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$9.15 ₱564

70.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.20 ₱73.8

46.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.98 ₱122

81.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.26 ₱15.98

46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.83 ₱51.4

66.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.22 ₱13.51

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.11 ₱130

158.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.14 ₱70.4

14.04%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$26.4K ₱1.6M

-29.24%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

11.42%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$112 ₱6,887

-63.42%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$33.07 ₱2,039

-18.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$27.00 ₱1,665

10.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$34.26 ₱2,112

51.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$4.34 ₱268

518.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.02 ₱371

4.65%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$152 ₱9,343

187.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,248 ₱261.9K

145.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$46.46 ₱2,865

21.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$26.85 ₱1,656

65.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$74.9 ₱4,620

37.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$52.4 ₱3,231

101.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$271 ₱16.7K

277.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$179 ₱11.1K

251.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$582 ₱35.9K

266.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$399 ₱24.6K

211.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,777 ₱171.2K

40.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$845 ₱52.1K

144.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.67

70.01%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bago: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $271 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 $288 vs $209 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, Getting Around. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,176 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $271 in Bago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $152 in Bago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bago – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $784 in Bago versus $1,467 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 87% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.