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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,466 per month in Mexico City vs $1,024 in Barlad, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,325 per month in Mexico City vs $1,576 in Barlad, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,184 per month in Mexico City vs $2,129 in Barlad, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 43% more than Barlad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 9% above the global median, while Barlad is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$9.70 RON 42.10

37.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$45.51 RON 198

18.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.98 RON 34.64

18.05%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.64 RON 11.47

35.98%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$2.00 RON 8.70

-19.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$1.76 RON 7.63

-36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$2.27 RON 9.87

43.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$2.74 RON 11.88

69.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.54 RON 6.67

6.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$1.23 RON 5.33

115.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.73 RON 7.53

13.29%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$3.39 RON 14.70

-25.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$8.67 RON 37.63

14.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$6.76 RON 29.33

24.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$10.20 RON 44.27

15.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$1.13 RON 4.92

153.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.54 RON 6.69

12.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$1.60 RON 6.96

24.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.93 RON 8.36

6.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$0.83 RON 3.59

148.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$0.97 RON 4.21

135.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$0.87 RON 3.77

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.77 RON 3.33

41.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$5.76 RON 25.01

-25.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$7.89 RON 34.26

85.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$1.07 RON 4.63

64.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$1.71 RON 7.40

108.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.70 RON 3.04

-45.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

$19.64 RON 85.2

-4.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$0.71 RON 3.09

95.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$0.73 RON 3.19

-58.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$6.81 RON 29.57

-20.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.53 RON 6.65

-12.42%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$28.3K RON 122.8K

-33.39%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$27.2K RON 118.2K

-14.79%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$152 RON 659

-73.46%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$7.89 RON 34.24

244.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$9.04 RON 39.25

225.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$41.38 RON 180

27.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$19.08 RON 82.8

37.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$6.87 RON 29.81

-10.04%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$424 RON 1,840

3.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$7,014 RON 30.4K

52.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$67.3 RON 292

-15.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$38.54 RON 167

16.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$75.4 RON 327

37.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$93.8 RON 407

15.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$393 RON 1,705

154.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$295 RON 1,280

114.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$578 RON 2,510

270.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$445 RON 1,933

181.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$2,024 RON 8,782

85.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$1,552 RON 6,737

53.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.56

72.87%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Last update for Barlad: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,000 in Mexico City versus $393 in Barlad. 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 in Mexico City versus $46 in Barlad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $211 – making Barlad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Barlad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,466 in Mexico City, $1,024 in Barlad – roughly 43% apart. Mexico City costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,199 per month in Mexico City and $1,535 in Barlad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 5% less in Barlad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $441 per month in Mexico City and $424 in Barlad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Barlad, where all-in costs run around $1,024, than in Mexico City at $1,466. In Barlad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,024 in Barlad to $1,466 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Barlad. 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.