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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,071 in Calama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,603 in Calama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,136 in Calama.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 35% more expensive than Calama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Calama is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$8.19 CLP 7,362

58.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$33.14 CLP 29.8K

58.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$7.92 CLP 7,121

19.07%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.14 CLP 1,920

66.82%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.94 CLP 846

71.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.95 CLP 854

21.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$3.16 CLP 2,839

-0.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$4.07 CLP 3,659

19.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.23 CLP 1,109

38.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.57 CLP 1,409

68.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.94 CLP 1,747

-2.06%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$3.47 CLP 3,120

-26.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$10.33 CLP 9,279

-2.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$6.51 CLP 5,847

27.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$11.02 CLP 9,905

4.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.83 CLP 1,647

65.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.53 CLP 1,371

11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.52 CLP 1,370

34.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.50 CLP 1,345

37.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.28 CLP 1,149

60.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.41 CLP 1,269

53.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.27 CLP 1,137

10.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$1.17 CLP 1,050

-4.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$5.26 CLP 4,727

-18.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$6.06 CLP 5,445

154.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.56 CLP 1,403

7.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.32 CLP 2,089

59.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.59 CLP 529

-35.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.51 CLP 459

170.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$1.48 CLP 1,327

-81.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.58 CLP 1,424

-18.99%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$19.3K CLP 17.3M

-1.62%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$21.1K CLP 19.0M

11.21%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$134 CLP 120.1K

-69.31%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$13.39 CLP 12.0K

101.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$22.23 CLP 20.0K

33.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$38.84 CLP 34.9K

34.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$21.27 CLP 19.1K

23.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$5.57 CLP 5,010

10.95%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$431 CLP 387.5K

-0.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$50.0 CLP 45.0K

13.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$29.88 CLP 26.9K

50.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$61.3 CLP 55.1K

70.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$83.1 CLP 74.7K

27.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$356 CLP 320.1K

179.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$376 CLP 338.2K

65.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$847 CLP 761.6K

150.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$599 CLP 537.9K

109.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$1,473 CLP 1.3M

165.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,322 CLP 1.2M

58.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$1,175 CLP 1.1M

-5.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.18

118.92%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Calama: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $356 in Calama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calama pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $33.00 in Calama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $228 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 35% 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, Calama earns 6% less. 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $356 in Calama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,447 per month in Mexico City versus $1,071 in Calama – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,071 in Calama versus $1,447 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 $1,071 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 35% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.