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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $884 in Cabarete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,347 in Cabarete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,810 in Cabarete.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 68% more expensive than 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

$12.98 MX$227

$6.25 DOP 369

107.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$36.25 DOP 2,142

46.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$6.19 DOP 366

57.03%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.26 DOP 133

65.93%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.04 DOP 61.4

50.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.83 DOP 48.82

36.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.51 DOP 148

26.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.70 DOP 219

25.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$0.91 DOP 53.6

78.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.36 DOP 80.5

99.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.51 DOP 89.4

24.50%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.65 DOP 97.7

52.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$6.95 DOP 410

45.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.59 DOP 271

80.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$5.52 DOP 326

116.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$0.92 DOP 54.1

210.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$0.87 DOP 51.1

101.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.93 DOP 114

7.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.33 DOP 78.8

48.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.07 DOP 63.5

101.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.77 DOP 104

23.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.11 DOP 65.4

25.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.95 DOP 56.2

17.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$3.35 DOP 198

25.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$11.73 DOP 693

21.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.37 DOP 140

-25.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.75 DOP 162

33.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.70 DOP 41.15

-44.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$3.30 DOP 195

-57.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$2.13 DOP 126

-85.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$5.84 DOP 345

-7.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.29 DOP 76.1

4.65%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$26.8K DOP 1.6M

-29.49%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$31.6K DOP 1.9M

-26.71%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$51.7 DOP 3,055

-21.04%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$25.48 DOP 1,505

7.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$16.70 DOP 987

81.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$43.36 DOP 2,562

23.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$6.94 DOP 410

-9.65%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$269 DOP 15.9K

62.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$8,153 DOP 481.8K

28.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$60.2 DOP 3,557

-5.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$50.6 DOP 2,992

-11.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$95.0 DOP 5,615

8.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$117 DOP 6,885

-7.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$874 DOP 51.6K

14.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$260 DOP 15.3K

138.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$601 DOP 35.5K

255.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$369 DOP 21.8K

235.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$307 DOP 18.1K

659.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cabarete: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $874 in Cabarete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $36.00 in Cabarete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $183 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 $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,326 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $874 in Cabarete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $269 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 $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $884 in Cabarete versus $1,484 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 $884 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.