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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $686 in Cahul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,082 in Cahul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,478 in Cahul.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 116% more expensive than Cahul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Cahul is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$8.73 MDL 151

48.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$36.23 MDL 625

46.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$7.53 MDL 130

29.08%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.88 MDL 32.44

99.47%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.91 MDL 15.70

72.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.70 MDL 12.07

61.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.71 MDL 29.52

85.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.31 MDL 39.82

101.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.29 MDL 22.17

25.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.52 MDL 8.99

421.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.52 MDL 26.19

23.68%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.63 MDL 45.35

-4.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$10.41 MDL 180

-3.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.32 MDL 91.8

55.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$9.09 MDL 157

31.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$0.86 MDL 14.76

232.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.80 MDL 31.09

-2.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.73 MDL 29.79

20.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$2.16 MDL 37.18

-8.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.76 MDL 13.11

184.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$0.59 MDL 10.18

269.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.32 MDL 22.75

5.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.87 MDL 15.02

28.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$3.31 MDL 57.0

26.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.21 MDL 20.87

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.99 MDL 34.41

84.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$2.08 MDL 35.81

-33.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.25 MDL 4.27

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$5.20 MDL 89.7

4.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.44 MDL 24.82

-6.25%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$32.0K MDL 552.4K

-41.03%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$31.0K MDL 534.7K

-25.31%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$172 MDL 2,967

-76.27%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$7.65 MDL 132

259.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$10.92 MDL 188

178.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$7.66 MDL 132

-18.15%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$384 MDL 6,626

13.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$7,684 MDL 132.5K

36.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$65.5 MDL 1,129

-13.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$54.7 MDL 943

-18.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$112 MDL 1,939

-8.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$122 MDL 2,098

-11.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$524 MDL 9,036

103.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.24

22.73%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cahul: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Mexico City pays 104% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $36.00 in Cahul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $182 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 116% 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.

Mexico City pays 104% more on average, 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 57% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,484 per month in Mexico City versus $686 in Cahul – a 116% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $686 in Cahul versus $1,484 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 $686 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 116% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.