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 $1,467 per month in Mexico City vs $1,202 in Ballsh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,371 per month in Mexico City vs $1,838 in Ballsh, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,274 per month in Mexico City vs $2,474 in Ballsh, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 22% more than Ballsh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 10% above the global median, while Ballsh is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$11.72 ALL 959

12.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$59.1 ALL 4,832

-8.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.81 ALL 557

38.33%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.03 ALL 166

74.88%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.45 ALL 119

11.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.90 ALL 73.9

23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.97 ALL 243

5.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$4.19 ALL 343

10.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$2.12 ALL 174

-19.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.14 ALL 93.0

138.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.16 ALL 177

-11.57%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$3.89 ALL 318

-34.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$13.34 ALL 1,091

-24.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.70 ALL 630

5.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$15.67 ALL 1,282

-25.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.77 ALL 145

67.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$2.78 ALL 228

-34.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.04 ALL 167

-1.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.98 ALL 162

2.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.33 ALL 109

59.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.32 ALL 108

71.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.45 ALL 119

-3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.80 ALL 65.6

41.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.37 ALL 357

-2.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$10.96 ALL 897

41.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.62 ALL 133

8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.07 ALL 170

73.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.48 ALL 39.46

-20.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$19.01 ALL 1,555

0.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$3.55 ALL 291

-61.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$3.23 ALL 264

-91.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$17.99 ALL 1,472

-69.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$2.15 ALL 176

-39.53%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$40.8K ALL 3.3M

-54.18%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$35.3K ALL 2.9M

-34.53%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$107 ALL 8,763

-61.86%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$17.78 ALL 1,455

50.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$18.41 ALL 1,506

62.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$55.6 ALL 4,545

-6.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$25.45 ALL 2,082

5.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$9.21 ALL 754

-31.60%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$159 ALL 13.0K

174.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$5,513 ALL 451.1K

88.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$67.1 ALL 5,486

-15.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$50.2 ALL 4,104

-11.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$109 ALL 8,922

-5.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$129 ALL 10.6K

-18.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$444 ALL 36.4K

129.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$347 ALL 28.4K

81.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$615 ALL 50.3K

247.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$433 ALL 35.4K

187.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,749 ALL 143.1K

123.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,196 ALL 97.8K

72.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ballsh: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,022 in Mexico City versus $444 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 – $288 in Mexico City vs $282 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 22%, 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 $2,201 per month in Mexico City and $1,803 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 2% 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 $1,202, than in Mexico City at $1,467. 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.