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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $610 in Calama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,222 in Calama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,835 in Calama.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 172% more expensive than in Calama, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Calama is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$7.23 CLP 6,899

64.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$32.65 CLP 31.2K

58.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$2.06 CLP 1,967

93.69%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.96 CLP 915

72.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.93 CLP 883

43.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$3.18 CLP 3,030

9.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$5.07 CLP 4,835

16.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.12 CLP 1,065

67.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$0.87 CLP 833

273.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$2.75 CLP 2,629

-21.45%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$5.11 CLP 4,875

-43.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$9.57 CLP 9,136

34.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.36 CLP 6,070

58.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$7.95 CLP 7,584

99.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$1.27 CLP 1,208

159.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.03 CLP 978

95.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.55 CLP 1,482

41.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$1.17 CLP 1,119

101.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$0.90 CLP 859

127.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$0.94 CLP 898

102.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$5.20 CLP 4,962

5.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$4.25 CLP 4,052

315.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.05 CLP 1,002

96.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$1.28 CLP 1,225

265.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.95 CLP 908

-64.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$1.54 CLP 1,467

-63.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.56 CLP 1,485

3.21%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$41.97 CLP 40.1K

55.30%

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

$30.09 MX$519

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$13.72 CLP 13.1K

170.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$51.4 CLP 49.1K

16.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$20.56 CLP 19.6K

29.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$4.80 CLP 4,583

46.67%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$317 CLP 302.9K

46.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$36.59 CLP 34.9K

107.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$28.82 CLP 27.5K

94.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$47.61 CLP 45.4K

134.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$62.3 CLP 59.4K

93.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$340 CLP 324.6K

224.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$107 CLP 101.6K

576.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$851 CLP 812.0K

197.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$637 CLP 607.8K

103.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$1,443 CLP 1.4M

176.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,261 CLP 1.2M

65.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$1,134 CLP 1.1M

-8.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

126.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Calama: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $340 in Calama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calama pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $33.00 in Calama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $181 per month, with Calama 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 Calama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calama wins on cost – living expenses run 172% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Calama. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $340 in Calama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 91% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,660 per month in Mexico City versus $610 in Calama – a 172% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $610 in Calama versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calama but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Calama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $610 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calama hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Calama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 172% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.