Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Belize City

For one person, living is cheaper in Belize City: $1,234 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Belize City
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Belize City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Belize City

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,234

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Belize City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $1,234 in Belize City.

Mexico City $1,674
Belize City $1,234

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $1,795 in Belize City.

Mexico City $2,606
Belize City $1,795

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $2,356 in Belize City.

Mexico City $3,537
Belize City $2,356

Living in Mexico City is roughly 36% more expensive than in Belize City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, Belize City is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$197

$6.35 BZD 12.70

66.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$964

$49.23 BZD 98.5

5.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$199

$9.59 BZD 19.18

11.89%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.5

$3.57 BZD 7.13

6.44%

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

$1.61 MX$29.93

$1.65 BZD 3.30

-2.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.49

$1.46 BZD 2.93

-17.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.0

$2.48 BZD 4.97

28.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$101

$2.97 BZD 5.95

83.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$31.88

$3.64 BZD 7.28

-52.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.1

$2.66 BZD 5.32

11.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.74

$3.43 BZD 6.86

-43.73%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.5

$3.66 BZD 7.31

-24.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$217

$6.67 BZD 13.33

74.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$176

$9.52 BZD 19.04

-0.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$285

$8.93 BZD 17.87

72.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$57.6

$2.72 BZD 5.44

13.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.39

$1.81 BZD 3.61

8.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$36.78

$2.76 BZD 5.52

-28.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.34

$3.01 BZD 6.01

-22.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.56

$4.08 BZD 8.16

-50.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.86

$2.69 BZD 5.38

-32.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.66

$2.33 BZD 4.67

-33.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.35

$1.58 BZD 3.16

-17.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$99.3

$4.55 BZD 9.11

17.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$300

$9.64 BZD 19.28

67.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.36

$2.49 BZD 4.97

-21.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.8

$2.05 BZD 4.10

112.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.66

$4.09 BZD 8.19

-92.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$362

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.58

$5.10 BZD 10.20

-62.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.77

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.53

$2.58 BZD 5.16

-42.64%

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

$21.4K MX$396.6K

$10.7K BZD 21.4K

99.74%

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

$23.8K MX$440.9K

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

$62.0 MX$1,151

$378 BZD 757

-83.62%

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

$28.47 MX$528

$48.70 BZD 97.4

-41.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$633

$26.90 BZD 53.8

26.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,084

$24.89 BZD 49.79

134.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$455

$2.43 BZD 4.87

908.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$122

$5.12 BZD 10.24

28.71%

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

$434 MX$8,059

$63.9 BZD 128

579.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$260.5K

$662 BZD 1,325

2019.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,269

$32.89 BZD 65.8

107.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,017

$25.05 BZD 50.1

118.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,057

$37.60 BZD 75.2

194.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,153

$37.98 BZD 76.0

205.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$21.9K

$348 BZD 696

238.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.3K

$192 BZD 384

301.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$47.7K

$573 BZD 1,145

348.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.3K

$323 BZD 646

339.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$66.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.6K

$835 BZD 1,670

20.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

11.5

-1.30%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Belize City: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Belize City

$192 15.6% 75.1% $579

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Belize City

$318 25.8% 1.7% $5.6

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Belize City

$153 12.4% 23.6% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Belize City

$60 4.9% 61.8% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Belize City

$454 36.8% 264% $329

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Belize City

$35 2.9% 50.9% $36

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Belize City

$21 * 1.7% 14.1% $3.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $348 in Belize City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $49 in Belize City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $318 per month, with Belize City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇧🇿 Belize City

🕒 Local time

16:18 4:18 PM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

63,999

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Belize Dollar BZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.39 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.445 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BZD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.56 MXN (100 MXN = 5.39 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.25 BZD (1 BZD = 0.445 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Belize City 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Belize City

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 Belize City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belize City wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Belize City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $348 in Belize City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,674 per month in Mexico City versus $1,234 in Belize City – Belize City is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Dining out is cheaper in Belize City – a meal for two runs $49 versus $52 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Belize City is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Belize City wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.