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 $1,447 per month in Mexico City vs $988 in Benares, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,310 per month in Mexico City vs $1,582 in Benares, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,174 per month in Mexico City vs $2,177 in Benares, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 47% more than Benares, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 8% above the global median, while Benares is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$6.41 MUR 302

102.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$44.06 MUR 2,075

19.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$6.51 MUR 307

44.85%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.65 MUR 125

34.72%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.01 MUR 47.71

59.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.56 MUR 26.17

105.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.15 MUR 101

46.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.76 MUR 130

76.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.49 MUR 70.3

14.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.66 MUR 31.30

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.33 MUR 62.7

42.86%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.34 MUR 110

8.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$9.70 MUR 457

3.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$6.09 MUR 287

36.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$10.65 MUR 501

8.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.98 MUR 93.1

53.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.98 MUR 93.1

-13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.45 MUR 68.3

41.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$2.61 MUR 123

-21.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.01 MUR 47.74

103.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$0.95 MUR 44.92

128.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.86 MUR 40.43

62.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.52 MUR 24.69

115.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$5.92 MUR 279

-27.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$9.62 MUR 453

60.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.74 MUR 82.2

-4.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.10 MUR 99.1

75.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.01 MUR 47.46

-62.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$4.43 MUR 209

-68.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$2.65 MUR 125

-89.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$15.59 MUR 734

-65.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.45 MUR 68.3

-11.72%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$36.1K MUR 1.7M

-47.37%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

-18.68%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$48.72 MUR 2,294

-15.80%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$18.00 MUR 848

49.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$32.52 MUR 1,532

-8.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$37.81 MUR 1,781

38.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$5.96 MUR 281

3.69%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$154 MUR 7,261

177.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$3,916 MUR 184.4K

173.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$49.65 MUR 2,338

14.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$44.37 MUR 2,089

1.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$83.5 MUR 3,934

25.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$78.3 MUR 3,688

35.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$511 MUR 24.1K

94.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$355 MUR 16.7K

74.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$935 MUR 44.0K

127.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$724 MUR 34.1K

73.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Benares: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Mexico City versus $511 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: $288 vs $215 – 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: $1,447 in Mexico City, $988 in Benares – roughly 47% apart. Mexico City costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,171 per month in Mexico City and $1,481 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 34% 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 $988, than in Mexico City at $1,447. 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 $988 in Benares to $1,447 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.