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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $649 in Bentota.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $865 in Bentota.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,081 in Bentota.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 127% more expensive than in Bentota, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Bentota is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$4.11 LKR 1,381

219.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$13.59 LKR 4,559

293.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$8.44 LKR 2,831

10.55%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.66 LKR 891

39.10%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.73 LKR 246

119.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.38 LKR 127

194.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.38 LKR 797

31.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$3.32 LKR 1,113

46.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.78 LKR 597

-7.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.53 LKR 178

411.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$0.81 LKR 272

135.80%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.22 LKR 745

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$13.88 LKR 4,657

-29.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$3.75 LKR 1,259

124.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$5.08 LKR 1,704

134.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$7.50 LKR 2,517

-60.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$0.87 LKR 291

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$5.89 LKR 1,975

-65.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.03 LKR 345

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.15 LKR 387

86.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.41 LKR 472

60.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.20 LKR 404

15.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.56 LKR 189

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$10.10 LKR 3,388

-58.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$12.86 LKR 4,315

36.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$2.01 LKR 675

-14.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.95 LKR 990

23.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.20 LKR 68.5

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.41 LKR 139

236.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.35 LKR 119

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$0.58 LKR 194

810.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.24 LKR 417

9.68%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$26.3K LKR 8.8M

-27.24%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$34.1K LKR 11.5M

-30.86%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$61.1 LKR 20.5K

-33.67%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$2.49 LKR 834

999.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$9.93 LKR 3,332

205.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$3.40 LKR 1,142

82.06%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$36.38 LKR 12.2K

1068.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$439 LKR 147.4K

2344.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$27.79 LKR 9,326

109.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$19.16 LKR 6,430

132.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$69.0 LKR 23.2K

49.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$38.05 LKR 12.8K

185.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$241 LKR 80.9K

320.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$153 LKR 51.4K

306.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

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

16.45

-31.06%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Bentota: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $241 in Bentota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $14.00 in Bentota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $242 per month, with Bentota cheaper across the board.

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 Bentota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bentota is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 127% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $974 in Bentota to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $241 in Bentota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,472 per month in Mexico City versus $649 in Bentota – a 127% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $649 in Bentota versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bentota but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Bentota the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bentota is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Bentota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.