Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Byron Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,417 in Byron Bay, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Byron Bay
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Byron Bay Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Byron Bay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,417

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Byron Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $2,417 in Byron Bay.

Mexico City $1,608
Byron Bay $2,417

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $3,485 in Byron Bay.

Mexico City $2,549
Byron Bay $3,485

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $4,552 in Byron Bay.

Mexico City $3,490
Byron Bay $4,552

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 33% less than in Byron Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 18% above, Byron Bay 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$17.30 A$24.58

-38.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$81.6 A$116

-40.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$11.21 A$15.92

-7.67%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$3.63 A$5.16

1.65%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$1.42 A$2.02

17.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$2.46 A$3.50

-48.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$8.27 A$11.76

-61.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$8.49 A$12.06

-37.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$1.65 A$2.34

4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$2.73 A$3.88

11.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$2.33 A$3.32

-16.74%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$4.78 A$6.80

-39.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$9.06 A$12.87

21.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$9.27 A$13.17

-0.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$14.45 A$20.53

4.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$4.26 A$6.06

-28.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$3.01 A$4.28

-35.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$3.06 A$4.34

-33.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$4.76 A$6.76

-51.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$2.84 A$4.04

-28.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$2.35 A$3.34

-23.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$2.37 A$3.37

-37.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$1.26 A$1.78

0.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$33.79 A$48.01

-84.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$12.65 A$17.97

27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$5.42 A$7.69

-63.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$4.89 A$6.95

-13.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$2.73 A$3.88

-88.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$82.3 A$117

-76.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$2.98 A$4.23

-38.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$1.89 A$2.69

-71.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$41.61 A$59.1

-87.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$1.41 A$2.01

7.09%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$29.7K A$42.2K

-26.73%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$24.9K A$35.4K

-3.83%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$160 A$227

-60.52%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$14.29 A$20.30

91.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$42.53 A$60.4

-16.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$56.3 A$80.0

4.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$17.44 A$24.78

35.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$13.79 A$19.59

-53.59%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$2,024 A$2,876

-78.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$12.7K A$18.0K

-9.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$70.4 A$100.0

-3.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$20.97 A$29.79

153.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$71.1 A$101

51.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$112 A$159

5.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$1,392 A$1,978

-20.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$1,234 A$1,753

-42.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$2,283 A$3,244

13.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$1,833 A$2,604

-23.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$5,798 A$8,239

-37.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$4,944 A$7,024

-56.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$4,883 A$6,938

-80.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

127.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Byron Bay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Byron Bay

$1.2K 51.1% 73.6% $523

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Byron Bay

$364 15.1% 14% $45

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Byron Bay

$290 12% 45.8% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Byron Bay

$123 5.1% 20.9% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Byron Bay

$216 9% 71.6% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Byron Bay

$84 3.5% 16.9% $12

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Byron Bay

$106 4.4% 315% $80

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $1,392 in Byron Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Byron Bay pays about 5.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $82 in Byron Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $364 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇦🇺 Byron Bay

🕒 Local time

14:37 2:37 PM

07:37 7:37 AM

17 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

10,538

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Byron Bay 12,660 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Byron Bay

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 Byron Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $2,417 in Byron Bay, so Mexico City is about 33% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 81% lower in Mexico City. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $1,392 in Byron Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $2,417 in Byron Bay – Mexico City is about 33% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 76% less than in Byron Bay. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mexico City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Byron Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.