Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Barra

For one person, living is cheaper in Barra: $104 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Barra

🇬🇲 Gambia

$104

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Barra

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Barra actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $104 in Barra, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Barra $104

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $177 in Barra, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Barra $177

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $250 in Barra, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Barra $250

Mexico City costs about 1442% more than Barra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Barra is 92% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.7

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

$1.67 MX$31.05

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.58

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.13

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.6

$0.96 GMD 71.5

216.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$2.47 GMD 183

17.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$204

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$7.20 GMD 533

28.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

$1.99 GMD 147

-2.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.73

$2.72 GMD 202

-25.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.12

$2.01 GMD 149

14.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.91

$1.11 GMD 81.9

83.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.53

$0.80 GMD 59.0

125.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.56

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.62

$0.45 GMD 33.15

182.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.8

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.95

$1.11 GMD 82.1

78.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.68

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.23

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.14

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

$21.8K MX$405.3K

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

$24.0K MX$446.9K

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

$63.0 MX$1,173

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

$27.39 MX$510

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$664

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,098

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

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

$432 MX$8,041

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,271

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,008

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,185

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Barra: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Barra

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Barra

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Barra

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Barra

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Barra

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Barra

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Barra

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇬🇲 Barra

🕒 Local time

20:51 8:51 PM

02:51 2:51 AM

6 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

6,020

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Gambian Dalasi GMD D

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 GMD = 1.35 USD

100 GMD = 1.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GMD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Gambian Dalasi exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 74.1 GMD (100 GMD = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 82.49 GMD (100 GMD = 1.21 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Barra 8,750 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Barra

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Barra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 1442%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $156 in Barra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $104 in Barra. That makes Barra about 94% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 207% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Barra, where all-in costs run around $104, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Barra 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 $104 in Barra to $1,608 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.