Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Beijing (Pekin) Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Beijing (Pekin)

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,481 per month in Mexico City vs $1,069 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

A couple spends around $2,352 per month in Mexico City vs $1,802 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

A family of three spends $3,222 per month in Mexico City vs $2,536 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Mexico City costs about 39% more than Beijing (Pekin), driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 11% above the global median, while Beijing (Pekin) is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$230

$4.28 ¥28.98

207.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$938

$28.21 ¥191

89.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$167

$5.23 ¥35.39

82.60%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$65.2

$3.10 ¥21.00

20.00%

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

$1.57 MX$27.45

$0.42 ¥2.88

273.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.25

$0.30 ¥2.04

286.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.8

$1.09 ¥7.36

191.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$81.1

$2.04 ¥13.83

126.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.87

$1.73 ¥11.70

-1.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.83

$1.60 ¥10.81

63.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.08

$1.06 ¥7.18

78.30%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.46

$1.66 ¥11.24

56.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$174

$15.60 ¥106

-36.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$144

$3.30 ¥22.32

149.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$206

$9.66 ¥65.4

21.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.5

$2.07 ¥14.02

44.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.52

$1.59 ¥10.73

13.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.32

$1.74 ¥11.76

18.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.45

$1.29 ¥8.73

52.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.29

$0.84 ¥5.67

146.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.08

$0.97 ¥6.57

123.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.57

$0.68 ¥4.59

105.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.82

$0.52 ¥3.51

105.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$72.1

$3.53 ¥23.88

16.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$305

$14.77 ¥99.9

17.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.35

$0.86 ¥5.81

95.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.9

$1.84 ¥12.44

98.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.66

$0.58 ¥3.93

-34.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$328

$30.94 ¥209

-39.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.28

$1.76 ¥11.90

-24.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.31

$0.35 ¥2.39

-14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$96.6

$10.52 ¥71.2

-47.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.13 ¥7.64

15.93%

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

$19.2K MX$335.7K

$18.2K ¥122.9K

5.57%

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

$23.7K MX$415.9K

$15.8K ¥107.0K

50.12%

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

$41.14 MX$721

$51.2 ¥347

-19.70%

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

$27.74 MX$486

$8.70 ¥58.9

218.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$528

$12.51 ¥84.7

140.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$941

$48.42 ¥328

10.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$455

$18.36 ¥124

41.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$114

$8.46 ¥57.3

-23.29%

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

$437 MX$7,647

$678 ¥4,589

-35.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.1K

$24.2K ¥163.8K

-56.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,022

$61.5 ¥416

-5.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$803

$34.85 ¥236

31.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,777

$77.8 ¥527

30.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,866

$99.5 ¥673

7.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.6K

$896 ¥6,062

12.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.1K

$458 ¥3,098

38.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.6K

$1,935 ¥13.1K

11.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.8K

$1,078 ¥7,292

15.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.6K

$12.3K ¥83.3K

-68.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.5K

$6,111 ¥41.4K

-65.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.8K

$1,586 ¥10.7K

-32.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.64

211.54%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,005 in Mexico City versus $896 in Beijing (Pekin). Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 48% higher in Beijing (Pekin), which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City versus $28.00 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $221 – making Beijing (Pekin) 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 Beijing (Pekin): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 39%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,222 per month in Mexico City and $1,604 in Beijing (Pekin). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City and $28.00 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,481 in Mexico City and $1,069 in Beijing (Pekin). The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Beijing (Pekin), where all-in costs run around $1,069, than in Mexico City at $1,481. In Beijing (Pekin) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Beijing (Pekin) – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Beijing (Pekin). 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.