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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,484 per month in Mexico City vs $971 in Benares, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,381 per month in Mexico City vs $1,588 in Benares, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,278 per month in Mexico City vs $2,206 in Benares, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 53% more than Benares, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 11% above the global median, while Benares is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$6.66 MUR 312

94.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$43.77 MUR 2,048

21.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$6.43 MUR 301

51.17%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.53 MUR 119

48.22%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.95 MUR 44.26

65.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.59 MUR 27.77

91.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.08 MUR 97.3

52.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.77 MUR 130

68.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.45 MUR 67.8

11.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.69 MUR 32.34

292.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.32 MUR 61.5

42.42%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.25 MUR 105

11.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$10.05 MUR 470

0.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.08 MUR 284

36.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$10.29 MUR 481

16.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.99 MUR 93.2

43.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.91 MUR 89.3

-8.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.50 MUR 70.1

38.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$2.65 MUR 124

-25.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.98 MUR 45.75

120.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$0.93 MUR 43.67

134.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.80 MUR 37.48

73.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.57 MUR 26.81

96.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$6.12 MUR 286

-31.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$8.43 MUR 394

69.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.74 MUR 81.3

1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.12 MUR 99.4

73.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.05 MUR 49.12

-62.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$4.42 MUR 207

-68.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$2.66 MUR 124

-88.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$15.14 MUR 709

-64.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.39 MUR 65.2

-2.88%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

-47.12%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$29.3K MUR 1.4M

-20.87%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$49.48 MUR 2,315

-17.50%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$18.40 MUR 861

49.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$32.71 MUR 1,531

-7.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$38.61 MUR 1,807

38.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$5.98 MUR 280

4.85%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$154 MUR 7,220

182.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$3,949 MUR 184.8K

165.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$49.70 MUR 2,325

14.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$43.89 MUR 2,053

2.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$82.2 MUR 3,846

25.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$78.0 MUR 3,647

38.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$521 MUR 24.4K

92.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$357 MUR 16.7K

74.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$936 MUR 43.8K

128.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$711 MUR 33.3K

73.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.25

81.44%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Benares: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,000 in Mexico City versus $521 in Benares. 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 $53.0 in Mexico City versus $44.00 in Benares. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $212 – making Benares 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 Benares: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City, $971 in Benares – roughly 53% apart. Mexico City costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,225 per month in Mexico City and $1,456 in Benares. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benares, 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 $53.0 in Mexico City and $44.00 in Benares. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Benares, where all-in costs run around $971, than in Mexico City at $1,484. In Benares it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Benares has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $971 in Benares to $1,484 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 Benares. 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.