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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $993 in Bambous.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,595 in Bambous.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,198 in Bambous.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 48% more expensive than Bambous, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Bambous is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.45 MUR 210

196.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$43.42 MUR 2,055

24.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.34 MUR 206

117.05%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.22 MUR 105

59.91%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.03 MUR 48.82

57.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.45 MUR 21.47

146.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.25 MUR 106

38.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$1.70 MUR 80.2

172.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.24 MUR 58.8

37.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.66 MUR 31.28

312.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.12 MUR 53.1

70.54%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.27 MUR 107

11.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$11.72 MUR 555

-14.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.39 MUR 160

138.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$4.35 MUR 206

167.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.06 MUR 97.7

44.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.99 MUR 94.3

-9.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.45 MUR 68.8

38.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$2.69 MUR 128

-24.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.00 MUR 47.27

112.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.02 MUR 48.09

122.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.81 MUR 38.23

72.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.81 MUR 38.28

39.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$6.58 MUR 311

-35.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$8.36 MUR 396

86.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.77 MUR 84.0

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.24 MUR 106

60.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.00 MUR 47.36

-62.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$4.41 MUR 209

-68.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$2.62 MUR 124

-89.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$20.18 MUR 955

-72.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.42 MUR 67.0

-8.45%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$35.5K MUR 1.7M

-47.32%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$29.2K MUR 1.4M

-20.86%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$48.89 MUR 2,313

-16.42%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$18.28 MUR 865

46.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$33.50 MUR 1,585

-10.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$39.02 MUR 1,847

33.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.14 MUR 290

2.61%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$152 MUR 7,200

186.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$3,890 MUR 184.1K

167.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$84.1 MUR 3,981

-32.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$79.1 MUR 3,741

-43.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$134 MUR 6,331

-23.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$94.6 MUR 4,477

11.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$505 MUR 23.9K

102.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$358 MUR 16.9K

76.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$951 MUR 45.0K

124.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$708 MUR 33.5K

75.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

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 Bambous: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $505 in Bambous. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $43.00 in Bambous for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $187 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 48% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $993 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,490 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $505 in Bambous. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $152 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 $43.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $993 in Bambous versus $1,467 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 48% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.