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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $342 in Budaun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $568 in Budaun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $794 in Budaun.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 386% more expensive than in Budaun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Budaun is 75% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$2.06 ₹198

478.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$20.83 ₹1,998

147.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$2.64 ₹253

332.20%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$0.54 ₹51.6

638.89%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.38 ₹36.52

336.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.17 ₹16.71

682.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$1.85 ₹177

87.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$1.56 ₹149

278.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$0.65 ₹62.3

189.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$0.32 ₹30.84

915.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$0.53 ₹51.1

307.55%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$0.64 ₹61.7

353.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$4.23 ₹406

204.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$2.10 ₹202

378.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$1.01 ₹97.2

225.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$0.41 ₹39.29

390.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$0.53 ₹51.0

315.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$0.44 ₹41.88

436.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$0.31 ₹29.89

561.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$0.33 ₹31.23

475.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.10 ₹9.79

1510.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.31 ₹29.85

351.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$2.25 ₹216

142.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$2.64 ₹253

568.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.27 ₹121

62.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.06 ₹198

127.18%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$3.22 ₹309

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.27 ₹25.45

25.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$7.13 ₹684

191.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$1.02 ₹97.6

105.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.10 ₹9.35

460.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$1.60 ₹153

263.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.07 ₹102

50.47%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$5,293 ₹507.8K

331.58%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$19.0K ₹1.8M

40.81%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$43.01 ₹4,127

51.55%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$4.25 ₹407

608.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$6.79 ₹652

447.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$15.96 ₹1,531

274.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$6.87 ₹659

286.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$5.10 ₹490

38.04%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$96.7 ₹9,280

380.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$2,046 ₹196.3K

548.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$25.21 ₹2,419

200.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$28.73 ₹2,757

94.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$53.6 ₹5,138

108.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$46.67 ₹4,477

158.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$121 ₹11.6K

813.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$72.6 ₹6,967

892.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$264 ₹25.3K

859.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$168 ₹16.1K

670.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$1,073 ₹103.0K

271.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$436 ₹41.8K

379.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

8.6

31.40%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Budaun: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $121 in Budaun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in Budaun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $71.0 per month, with Budaun 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 Budaun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budaun is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 386% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $513 in Budaun 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $121 in Budaun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Budaun runs roughly 192% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $96.7 in Budaun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $342 in Budaun versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Budaun but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Budaun the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Budaun 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 Budaun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 386% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.