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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $649 in Cahul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $953 in Cahul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,258 in Cahul.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 159% more expensive than in Cahul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Cahul is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$8.89 MDL 153

36.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$916

$23.72 MDL 407

127.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$10.81 MDL 186

2.59%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.6

$1.69 MDL 29.04

142.60%

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

$1.68 MX$28.57

$1.15 MDL 19.66

46.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.58

$0.56 MDL 9.66

148.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.6

$2.00 MDL 34.25

66.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.9

$1.90 MDL 32.59

209.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.45

$1.32 MDL 22.62

40.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.9

$0.47 MDL 8.04

574.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.18

$1.64 MDL 28.21

26.22%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.74

$2.25 MDL 38.65

30.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$7.04 MDL 121

78.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.76 MDL 81.7

112.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$6.56 MDL 113

145.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.6

$1.02 MDL 17.47

232.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.31

$2.38 MDL 40.90

-12.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.02

$1.93 MDL 33.04

9.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$41.01

$2.45 MDL 42.11

-1.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.17

$0.79 MDL 13.60

169.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.07

$0.54 MDL 9.24

272.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$0.44 MDL 7.55

252.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.19

$0.55 MDL 9.47

147.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$98.0

$3.38 MDL 58.0

70.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$4.60 MDL 79.0

285.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.16

$1.43 MDL 24.55

44.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.4

$2.01 MDL 34.48

129.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$360

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.89

$2.88 MDL 49.41

-28.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.80

$0.25 MDL 4.28

132.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$5.88 MDL 101

3.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.38

$1.54 MDL 26.35

0.65%

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

$22.9K MX$388.6K

$34.3K MDL 588.8K

-33.34%

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

$27.2K MX$462.7K

$25.6K MDL 438.7K

6.54%

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

$67.4 MX$1,145

$236 MDL 4,050

-71.44%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$8.07 MDL 139

279.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$633

$11.47 MDL 197

224.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,044

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$461

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$7.73 MDL 133

-8.02%

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

$456 MX$7,750

$116 MDL 1,998

291.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.6K

$5,457 MDL 93.6K

150.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,260

$47.16 MDL 809

57.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$969

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,961

$57.1 MDL 980

102.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,064

$52.5 MDL 901

131.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$68.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$528 MDL 9,054

105.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

41.25%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cahul: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Mexico City pays 105% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $24.00 in Cahul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $170 per month, with Cahul 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 Cahul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cahul wins on cost – living expenses run 159% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cahul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 105% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 103% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,677 per month in Mexico City versus $649 in Cahul – a 159% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $649 in Cahul versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cahul but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cahul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cahul delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $649 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cahul hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Cahul 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 Cahul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 159% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.