Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Buenaventura

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenaventura: $1,391 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Buenaventura, Colombia
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,674
/mo nomad
Buenaventura
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,391
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Buenaventura

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Buenaventura actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,674 per month in Mexico City vs $1,391 in Buenaventura, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,674
  • Buenaventura $1,391

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Mexico City vs $2,090 in Buenaventura, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,606
  • Buenaventura $2,090

A family of three spends $3,537 per month in Mexico City vs $2,790 in Buenaventura, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,537
  • Buenaventura $2,790

Mexico City costs about 20% more than Buenaventura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mexico City and Buenaventura sit above the global median – Mexico City by 24%, Buenaventura by 3%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Buenaventura
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.59 MX$197
$7.15 COP 23.2K
48.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.0 MX$967
$47.85 COP 155.2K
8.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.73 MX$200
$9.63 COP 31.2K
11.42%
Cappuccino
$3.80 MX$70.7
$2.63 COP 8,521
44.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 MX$30.01
$1.37 COP 4,442
17.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.21 MX$22.55
$1.07 COP 3,483
13.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 MX$59.1
$3.19 COP 10.3K
-0.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.44 MX$101
$3.66 COP 11.9K
48.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Buenaventura
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$31.96
$1.50 COP 4,862
14.67%
White Bread (500g)
$2.97 MX$55.2
$2.46 COP 7,974
20.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.93 MX$35.84
$1.73 COP 5,624
11.56%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$51.6
$3.05 COP 9,876
-9.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.67 MX$217
$8.20 COP 26.6K
42.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.48 MX$176
$9.63 COP 31.2K
-1.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.37 MX$286
$12.33 COP 40.0K
24.66%
Apples (1kg)
$3.10 MX$57.8
$3.66 COP 11.9K
-15.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 MX$36.49
$1.47 COP 4,775
33.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 MX$36.88
$1.93 COP 6,255
2.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.34 MX$43.46
$2.04 COP 6,609
14.71%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.66
$1.60 COP 5,196
26.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.95
$1.47 COP 4,767
23.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 MX$28.74
$1.18 COP 3,827
30.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 MX$24.42
$1.19 COP 3,875
10.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.35 MX$99.6
$4.14 COP 13.4K
29.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.19 MX$301
$13.45 COP 43.6K
20.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 MX$36.46
$1.51 COP 4,880
29.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 MX$81.0
$2.29 COP 7,417
89.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Buenaventura
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.30 MX$5.67
$1.12 COP 3,617
-73.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.49 MX$363
$65.5 COP 212.3K
-70.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.92 MX$35.68
$1.55 COP 5,025
23.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 MX$8.80
$2.12 COP 6,863
-77.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 MX$101
$8.50 COP 27.5K
-36.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 MX$27.61
$1.30 COP 4,225
13.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K MX$397.7K
$34.3K COP 111.1M
-37.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K MX$442.1K
$34.2K COP 111.0M
-30.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Buenaventura
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.0 MX$1,154
$126 COP 409.8K
-50.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.47 MX$530
$13.41 COP 43.5K
112.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.11 MX$635
$28.93 COP 93.8K
17.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Buenaventura
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.4 MX$1,087
$38.30 COP 124.2K
52.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.50 MX$456
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.59 MX$123
$7.10 COP 23.0K
-7.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Buenaventura
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$434 MX$8,081
$594 COP 1.9M
-26.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.0K MX$261.2K
$8,415 COP 27.3M
66.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Buenaventura
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.4 MX$1,272
$85.3 COP 276.4K
-19.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.8 MX$1,020
$53.1 COP 172.0K
3.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 MX$2,063
$135 COP 436.4K
-17.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 MX$2,159
$101 COP 327.9K
14.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Buenaventura
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,179 MX$21.9K
$709 COP 2.3M
66.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$771 MX$14.3K
$489 COP 1.6M
57.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,570 MX$47.8K
$1,416 COP 4.6M
81.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,420 MX$26.4K
$787 COP 2.6M
80.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,586 MX$66.7K
$2,243 COP 7.3M
59.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,064 MX$38.4K
$1,731 COP 5.6M
19.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Buenaventura
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,003 MX$18.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
12
-5.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Buenaventura: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$771
Buenaventura
$489 36.5% $281
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$324
Buenaventura
$279 13.7% $44
Eating Out
Mexico City
$201
Buenaventura
$151 24.9% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$158
Buenaventura
$168 6.9% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$125
Buenaventura
$169 35.4% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Buenaventura
$52 26.6% $19
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Buenaventura
$82 229% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,179 in Mexico City versus $709 in Buenaventura. 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 $52 in Mexico City versus $48 in Buenaventura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $279 – making Buenaventura the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇨🇴 Buenaventura
🕒 Local time
17:02 5:02 PM
18:02 6:02 PM
1 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
365,607
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Buenaventura 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Buenaventura

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Buenaventura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mexico City and in Buenaventura compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City, $1,391 in Buenaventura – Buenaventura comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Mexico City compared to Buenaventura?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,510 per month in Mexico City and $2,086 in Buenaventura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Mexico City and Buenaventura?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Buenaventura, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $709 there versus $1,179 in Mexico City.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 16% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Mexico City and $48 in Buenaventura. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How far does $2,000 go in Mexico City compared to Buenaventura?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,674 in Mexico City and $1,391 in Buenaventura, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Buenaventura?
It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,391 in Buenaventura to $1,674 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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