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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $685 in Cahul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,084 in Cahul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,482 in Cahul.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 115% more expensive than in 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

$13.14 MX$229

$8.86 MDL 155

48.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$36.06 MDL 633

48.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$7.71 MDL 135

21.01%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$1.87 MDL 32.76

97.86%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$0.98 MDL 17.11

63.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.65 MDL 11.44

72.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.73 MDL 30.38

81.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

$2.33 MDL 40.80

108.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$1.24 MDL 21.72

33.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$0.52 MDL 9.11

421.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$1.47 MDL 25.74

29.93%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$2.59 MDL 45.38

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$10.46 MDL 184

-6.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.53 MDL 97.0

52.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$8.67 MDL 152

37.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$0.84 MDL 14.71

251.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$1.82 MDL 32.00

-4.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$1.71 MDL 29.99

19.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$2.16 MDL 37.84

-4.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$0.82 MDL 14.47

162.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$0.59 MDL 10.40

283.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$1.29 MDL 22.71

7.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$0.84 MDL 14.81

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$3.30 MDL 57.9

27.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$4.57 MDL 80.2

283.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$1.27 MDL 22.28

34.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$2.00 MDL 35.09

81.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$2.01 MDL 35.33

-31.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$0.25 MDL 4.38

12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

$5.31 MDL 93.1

-0.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$1.44 MDL 25.25

-5.56%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$32.5K MDL 570.2K

-41.23%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$31.6K MDL 554.5K

-25.31%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$174 MDL 3,055

-76.73%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$7.66 MDL 134

257.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$10.73 MDL 188

183.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$7.79 MDL 137

-20.54%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$395 MDL 6,932

7.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$7,490 MDL 131.4K

43.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$66.6 MDL 1,168

-12.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$54.1 MDL 948

-17.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$112 MDL 1,957

-7.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$123 MDL 2,166

-11.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

$507 MDL 8,901

107.35%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Cahul: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Mexico City pays 107% 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 $36.00 in Cahul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $190 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 115% 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 107% 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 54% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,472 per month in Mexico City versus $685 in Cahul – a 115% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $685 in Cahul versus $1,472 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 $685 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 115% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.