Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Busia, Uganda

Name: Busia
Address: Busia, UG

For one person, living is cheaper in Busia: $69.4 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Busia

🇺🇬 Uganda

$69.4

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Busia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $69 in Busia.

Mexico City $1,608
Busia $69

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $114 in Busia.

Mexico City $2,549
Busia $114

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $159 in Busia.

Mexico City $3,490
Busia $159

Living in Mexico City is roughly 2218% more expensive than in Busia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Busia is 95% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$904

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.0

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

$1.67 MX$31.14

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.65

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.23

$0.30 UGX 1,332

473.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.8

$1.23 UGX 5,393

147.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.0

$1.43 UGX 6,251

102.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$283

$3.56 UGX 15.6K

325.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.0

$2.34 UGX 10.3K

30.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.85

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.25

$0.69 UGX 3,006

234.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.03

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.63

$1.41 UGX 6,178

27.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.64

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.69

$0.23 UGX 1,003

452.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.1

$1.11 UGX 4,875

377.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$301

$4.93 UGX 21.6K

226.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.06

$0.95 UGX 4,154

108.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.5

$1.18 UGX 5,156

260.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.70

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$369

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.34

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.23

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

$21.8K MX$406.5K

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

$24.0K MX$448.2K

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

$63.0 MX$1,177

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

$27.39 MX$512

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$666

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,101

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$442

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

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

$432 MX$8,065

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$213.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,275

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$993

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,014

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,191

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Busia: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Busia

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Busia

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Busia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Busia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Busia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Busia

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Busia

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇬 Busia

🕒 Local time

09:11 9:11 AM

18:11 6:11 PM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

64,900

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4,386 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD). 1 EUR = 4,882 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Busia 14,460 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Busia

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 Busia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busia wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Busia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $104 in Busia 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 361% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $69 in Busia – a 2218% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $69 in Busia versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $800 budget is realistic in Busia but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Busia 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.