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 $1,472 per month in Mexico City vs $976 in Benares, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,359 per month in Mexico City vs $1,574 in Benares, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,245 per month in Mexico City vs $2,172 in Benares, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 51% more than Benares, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 11% above the global median, while Benares is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$6.75 MUR 316

94.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$43.23 MUR 2,025

23.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$6.52 MUR 305

43.10%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.66 MUR 125

39.10%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.03 MUR 48.37

55.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.56 MUR 26.28

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.12 MUR 99.5

48.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.69 MUR 126

80.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.52 MUR 71.1

8.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.70 MUR 32.97

287.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.28 MUR 60.2

49.22%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.23 MUR 104

16.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$9.70 MUR 454

1.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$6.09 MUR 285

38.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$10.35 MUR 485

15.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.97 MUR 92.2

49.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$2.01 MUR 94.0

-13.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.49 MUR 69.7

36.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$2.60 MUR 122

-20.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.02 MUR 47.84

110.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.02 MUR 47.65

121.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.81 MUR 37.72

71.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.56 MUR 26.32

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$6.12 MUR 286

-31.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$8.22 MUR 385

113.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.81 MUR 84.7

-5.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.17 MUR 102

67.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.00 MUR 46.72

-65.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$4.49 MUR 210

-69.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$2.61 MUR 122

-89.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$15.48 MUR 725

-65.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.46 MUR 68.4

-6.85%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$35.4K MUR 1.7M

-46.07%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$28.4K MUR 1.3M

-16.98%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$50.4 MUR 2,361

-19.60%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$18.43 MUR 863

48.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$31.92 MUR 1,495

-4.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$38.06 MUR 1,783

37.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.14 MUR 287

0.81%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$155 MUR 7,258

174.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$3,941 MUR 184.6K

172.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$49.62 MUR 2,324

17.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$43.59 MUR 2,042

2.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$80.9 MUR 3,790

27.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$80.3 MUR 3,759

35.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$520 MUR 24.4K

95.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$353 MUR 16.6K

76.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$939 MUR 44.0K

125.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$726 MUR 34.0K

68.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Benares: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Mexico City versus $520 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 $54.0 in Mexico City versus $43.00 in Benares. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $213 – 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: $1,472 in Mexico City, $976 in Benares – roughly 51% apart. Mexico City costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,208 per month in Mexico City and $1,464 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 $54.0 in Mexico City and $43.00 in Benares. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% 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 $976, than in Mexico City at $1,472. 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 $976 in Benares to $1,472 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.