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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,456 per month in Mexico City vs $1,211 in Ballsh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,361 per month in Mexico City vs $1,879 in Ballsh, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,266 per month in Mexico City vs $2,548 in Ballsh, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 20% more than Ballsh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 9% above the global median, while Ballsh is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$11.71 ALL 955

11.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$58.6 ALL 4,783

-8.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$6.84 ALL 558

41.52%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.02 ALL 165

85.15%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.43 ALL 117

13.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.90 ALL 73.8

28.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.93 ALL 239

10.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$4.03 ALL 329

17.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$2.15 ALL 175

-23.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.10 ALL 89.7

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$2.13 ALL 174

-12.21%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$3.92 ALL 320

-36.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$13.24 ALL 1,080

-22.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$7.62 ALL 621

8.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$15.43 ALL 1,258

-23.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.77 ALL 144

70.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$2.67 ALL 218

-32.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.98 ALL 162

1.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.92 ALL 157

4.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.31 ALL 107

58.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.28 ALL 105

77.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.49 ALL 122

-2.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.75 ALL 61.2

44.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.32 ALL 352

0.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$10.42 ALL 850

63.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.64 ALL 134

5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.07 ALL 168

72.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.49 ALL 39.78

-20.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$18.62 ALL 1,519

0.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$3.58 ALL 292

-62.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$3.08 ALL 252

-90.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$17.31 ALL 1,412

-69.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$2.09 ALL 170

-35.89%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$39.4K ALL 3.2M

-50.77%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$35.0K ALL 2.9M

-31.96%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$108 ALL 8,833

-62.43%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$17.62 ALL 1,437

52.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$18.27 ALL 1,490

67.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$55.8 ALL 4,550

-5.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$25.12 ALL 2,049

6.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$9.63 ALL 786

-32.40%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$161 ALL 13.1K

166.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$5,544 ALL 452.2K

89.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$68.9 ALL 5,618

-16.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$50.0 ALL 4,081

-9.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$108 ALL 8,808

-3.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$131 ALL 10.7K

-17.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$455 ALL 37.1K

120.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$346 ALL 28.2K

79.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$603 ALL 49.2K

249.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$434 ALL 35.4K

180.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,795 ALL 146.4K

116.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,327 ALL 108.2K

53.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.52

105.43%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ballsh: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Mexico City versus $455 in Ballsh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City versus $59.0 in Ballsh. Groceries tell a different story – $292 in Mexico City vs $278 in Ballsh – so Ballsh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Ballsh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 20%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,185 per month in Mexico City and $1,816 in Ballsh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ballsh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City and $59.0 in Ballsh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ballsh, where all-in costs run around $1,211, than in Mexico City at $1,456. In Ballsh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ballsh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ballsh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.