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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $875 in Cabarete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,324 in Cabarete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,773 in Cabarete.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 68% more expensive than in Cabarete, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Cabarete is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$6.54 DOP 380

100.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$36.31 DOP 2,110

47.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$6.06 DOP 352

53.96%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.19 DOP 127

68.95%

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

$0.84 DOP 49.02

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.62 DOP 152

19.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$3.65 DOP 212

32.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$0.99 DOP 57.3

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.35 DOP 78.5

100.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.51 DOP 87.8

26.49%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.59 DOP 92.2

62.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$7.22 DOP 420

35.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$4.72 DOP 274

78.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$5.78 DOP 336

106.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$0.96 DOP 55.9

207.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$0.86 DOP 49.79

102.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.92 DOP 112

6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.29 DOP 74.9

59.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.12 DOP 65.2

91.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.75 DOP 101

29.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.06 DOP 61.4

31.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.87 DOP 50.4

28.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$3.48 DOP 202

21.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$10.82 DOP 629

61.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$2.25 DOP 131

-24.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.74 DOP 159

32.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.66 DOP 38.48

-46.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$3.30 DOP 192

-58.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$2.12 DOP 123

-86.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$5.83 DOP 339

-9.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.29 DOP 74.8

5.43%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$26.7K DOP 1.6M

-28.44%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$32.0K DOP 1.9M

-26.26%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$50.1 DOP 2,910

-19.07%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$25.72 DOP 1,494

6.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$17.26 DOP 1,003

76.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$43.26 DOP 2,514

20.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.61 DOP 384

-6.35%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$265 DOP 15.4K

60.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$8,000 DOP 464.9K

34.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$58.9 DOP 3,421

-0.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$50.8 DOP 2,952

-12.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$97.8 DOP 5,681

5.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$116 DOP 6,715

-5.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$872 DOP 50.7K

16.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$257 DOP 14.9K

142.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$603 DOP 35.0K

251.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$379 DOP 22.0K

223.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$313 DOP 18.2K

574.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

12.9

-12.09%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Cabarete: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $872 in Cabarete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $36.00 in Cabarete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $182 per month, with Cabarete 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 Cabarete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cabarete wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cabarete the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,313 in Cabarete 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 $872 in Cabarete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $265 in Cabarete. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cabarete – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $875 in Cabarete versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cabarete but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cabarete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cabarete delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $875 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cabarete hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Cabarete are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cabarete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.