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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $910 in Bamako.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,457 in Bamako.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,003 in Bamako.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 84% more expensive than in Bamako, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Bamako is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$205

$8.30 F CFA 4,680

46.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$911

$35.70 F CFA 20.1K

50.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$187

$7.96 F CFA 4,485

39.32%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.3

$1.70 F CFA 958

141.18%

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

$1.68 MX$28.44

$0.91 F CFA 514

84.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.47

$0.71 F CFA 399

95.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.3

$2.36 F CFA 1,329

41.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.4

$21.06 F CFA 11.9K

-72.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.30

$1.93 F CFA 1,085

-4.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.6

$3.87 F CFA 2,181

-18.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.01

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.51

$5.89 F CFA 3,319

-50.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$213

$17.51 F CFA 9,867

-28.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$15.49 F CFA 8,729

-34.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$272

$12.70 F CFA 7,161

26.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.3

$4.11 F CFA 2,316

-17.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.14

$1.08 F CFA 607

92.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.85

$2.80 F CFA 1,578

-24.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.82

$2.04 F CFA 1,152

18.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.00

$1.21 F CFA 682

76.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$33.90

$1.17 F CFA 662

71.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.13

$0.10 F CFA 57.5

1450.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.08

$2.68 F CFA 1,509

-49.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.5

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$300

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.00

$1.50 F CFA 844

38.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.0

$1.67 F CFA 940

176.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.19

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$358

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.73

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.75

$1.26 F CFA 709

-53.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.13 F CFA 638

37.17%

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

$22.9K MX$386.8K

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

$27.2K MX$460.5K

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

$67.4 MX$1,140

$151 F CFA 85.3K

-55.46%

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

$30.62 MX$518

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$630

$65.7 F CFA 37.0K

-43.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,039

$70.5 F CFA 39.8K

-12.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$459

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$120

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

$456 MX$7,714

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$231.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,255

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$964

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,951

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,055

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.4K

$178 F CFA 100.1K

546.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$79.7 F CFA 44.9K

789.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.6K

$500 F CFA 281.7K

415.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$21.9K

$304 F CFA 171.4K

325.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.0K

$1,227 F CFA 691.7K

73.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.3K

$259 F CFA 145.8K

318.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Bamako: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $178 in Bamako. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 318% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $36.00 in Bamako. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $347, with Mexico City 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 Bamako: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bamako wins on cost – living expenses run 84% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bamako the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 318% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $178 in Bamako. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,677 per month in Mexico City versus $910 in Bamako – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $910 in Bamako versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bamako but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Bamako the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bamako delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $910 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bamako hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Bamako gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.