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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $535 in Bambous.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $902 in Bambous.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,268 in Bambous.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 210% more expensive than in Bambous, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Bambous is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$4.36 MUR 207

173.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$37.99 MUR 1,804

35.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$4.12 MUR 196

176.94%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$2.13 MUR 101

87.32%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.09 MUR 51.6

52.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.44 MUR 20.79

202.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$2.67 MUR 127

29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$1.57 MUR 74.7

275.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.20 MUR 56.8

56.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$0.73 MUR 34.69

345.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.08 MUR 51.4

100.00%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.59 MUR 123

11.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$5.29 MUR 251

143.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$3.23 MUR 153

211.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$4.27 MUR 203

271.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$2.07 MUR 98.4

58.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$2.60 MUR 124

-22.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$1.45 MUR 68.8

51.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$2.90 MUR 138

-18.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$0.94 MUR 44.71

118.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$0.96 MUR 45.74

97.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.71 MUR 33.62

126.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.92 MUR 43.51

52.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$6.28 MUR 298

-13.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$8.54 MUR 406

106.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.65 MUR 78.2

24.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$2.27 MUR 108

106.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$4.16 MUR 198

-49.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$3.12 MUR 148

-82.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$20.89 MUR 992

-72.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.34 MUR 63.9

20.15%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$36.6K MUR 1.7M

-37.52%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$31.7K MUR 1.5M

-15.71%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$44.49 MUR 2,113

46.50%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$10.62 MUR 505

183.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$29.53 MUR 1,403

25.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$6.48 MUR 308

8.64%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$128 MUR 6,059

264.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$7,820 MUR 371.4K

69.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$78.6 MUR 3,734

-3.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$75.4 MUR 3,579

-25.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$121 MUR 5,725

-7.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$76.8 MUR 3,648

56.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.67

69.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Bambous: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in Bambous for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $173 per month, with Bambous 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 Bambous: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Bambous differ by about 210% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $535 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $803 in Bambous 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.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $128 in Bambous. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bambous – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $535 in Bambous versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bambous but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Bambous the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Bambous are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bambous gentler on the wallet – expenses run 210% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.