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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $706 in Bonao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,099 in Bonao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,492 in Bonao.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 109% more expensive than in Bonao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Bonao is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$5.59 DOP 325

135.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$27.06 DOP 1,572

97.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$5.00 DOP 291

86.60%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.00 DOP 116

85.00%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.02 DOP 59.4

56.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.83 DOP 48.08

34.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.40 DOP 140

30.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$3.12 DOP 181

55.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.35 DOP 78.4

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.42 DOP 82.4

90.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$0.96 DOP 55.5

98.96%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.57 DOP 91.5

64.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$7.03 DOP 408

39.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$5.56 DOP 323

51.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$11.07 DOP 643

7.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.26 DOP 131

30.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$0.65 DOP 37.82

167.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.26 DOP 132

-9.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.33 DOP 77.3

54.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$2.20 DOP 128

-2.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.14 DOP 66.3

98.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.76 DOP 44.38

82.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.57 DOP 33.37

96.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$5.61 DOP 326

-24.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$7.23 DOP 420

142.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$2.37 DOP 137

-27.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$3.26 DOP 189

11.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.53 DOP 31.06

-33.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$27.16 DOP 1,578

-28.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$3.30 DOP 192

-58.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$2.10 DOP 122

-86.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$2.42 DOP 140

118.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.20 DOP 69.9

13.33%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$26.5K DOP 1.5M

-28.01%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$32.3K DOP 1.9M

-27.00%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$76.8 DOP 4,460

-47.19%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$25.53 DOP 1,484

7.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$34.39 DOP 1,998

-11.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$17.13 DOP 995

204.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$2.58 DOP 150

139.92%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$268 DOP 15.6K

58.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$7,993 DOP 464.4K

34.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$60.5 DOP 3,514

-3.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$51.0 DOP 2,964

-12.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$34.22 DOP 1,989

202.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$33.36 DOP 1,938

225.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$142 DOP 8,231

615.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$101 DOP 5,866

516.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$289 DOP 16.8K

633.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$215 DOP 12.5K

470.19%

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

-5.50%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Bonao: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $142 in Bonao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Bonao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $202 per month, with Bonao 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 Bonao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Bonao differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $706 including rent). Bonao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,059 in Bonao 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 $142 in Bonao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bonao runs roughly 41% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $268 in Bonao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $706 in Bonao versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bonao but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Bonao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Bonao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.