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 $1,466 per month in Mexico City vs $1,072 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

A couple spends around $2,325 per month in Mexico City vs $1,804 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

A family of three spends $3,184 per month in Mexico City vs $2,537 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Mexico City costs about 37% more than Beijing (Pekin), driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 9% above the global median, while Beijing (Pekin) is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$4.16 ¥28.44

219.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$935

$27.41 ¥187

96.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$164

$5.18 ¥35.41

81.85%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$3.21 ¥21.93

11.84%

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

$1.62 MX$28.23

$0.46 ¥3.14

252.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.56

$0.30 ¥2.07

273.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.5

$1.13 ¥7.75

187.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.9

$2.05 ¥14.04

126.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.47

$1.72 ¥11.78

-4.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.16

$1.64 ¥11.19

61.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.10

$1.07 ¥7.29

83.18%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.24

$1.74 ¥11.89

45.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$15.91 ¥109

-37.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$146

$3.35 ¥22.88

150.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$206

$9.81 ¥67.1

20.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.79

$2.09 ¥14.29

36.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.15

$1.63 ¥11.17

6.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.62

$1.72 ¥11.77

15.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.63

$1.29 ¥8.81

58.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.77

$0.86 ¥5.86

139.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.68

$0.97 ¥6.63

135.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.14

$0.73 ¥4.96

98.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.90

$0.56 ¥3.86

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.2

$3.40 ¥23.23

25.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$255

$10.54 ¥72.1

39.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$0.82 ¥5.60

114.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$62.1

$1.83 ¥12.54

95.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.69

$0.54 ¥3.72

-29.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$326

$31.84 ¥218

-41.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$1.86 ¥12.73

-25.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.28

$0.35 ¥2.41

-14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$94.1

$10.31 ¥70.5

-47.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.30

$1.10 ¥7.52

21.82%

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

$18.9K MX$327.8K

$18.9K ¥129.1K

-0.09%

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

$23.2K MX$403.4K

$15.3K ¥104.6K

51.67%

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

$40.30 MX$701

$53.1 ¥363

-24.12%

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

$27.15 MX$472

$8.61 ¥58.9

215.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$512

$12.56 ¥85.9

134.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$917

$49.03 ¥335

7.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$455

$18.34 ¥125

42.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$8.45 ¥57.8

-26.86%

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

$441 MX$7,664

$682 ¥4,662

-35.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.0K

$24.0K ¥164.5K

-55.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$995

$63.3 ¥433

-9.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$783

$35.25 ¥241

27.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$77.2 ¥528

34.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,891

$101 ¥689

7.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.4K

$891 ¥6,096

12.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$448 ¥3,066

41.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.2K

$1,954 ¥13.4K

9.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.8K

$1,082 ¥7,399

15.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$65.1K

$12.3K ¥83.9K

-69.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.4K

$6,293 ¥43.0K

-62.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.8K

$1,586 ¥10.8K

-31.94%

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: April 20, 2026

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,000 in Mexico City versus $891 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 47% 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 in Mexico City versus $27 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $215 – 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 37%, 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 $2,199 per month in Mexico City and $1,608 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 $27.00 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 $1,466 in Mexico City and $1,072 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 $1,072, than in Mexico City at $1,466. 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.