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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,077 in Calama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,598 in Calama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,119 in Calama.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 38% more expensive than Calama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Calama is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$7.95 CLP 7,068

63.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$33.74 CLP 30.0K

57.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$7.75 CLP 6,890

25.42%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.20 CLP 1,959

70.45%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.92 CLP 822

70.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.95 CLP 847

18.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$3.31 CLP 2,948

-3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$4.06 CLP 3,612

14.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.19 CLP 1,061

36.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.55 CLP 1,379

74.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.96 CLP 1,740

-4.08%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$3.47 CLP 3,084

-27.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$10.29 CLP 9,147

-2.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.55 CLP 5,822

26.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$11.04 CLP 9,815

8.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.88 CLP 1,675

52.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.50 CLP 1,334

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.52 CLP 1,350

36.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.50 CLP 1,334

31.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.28 CLP 1,142

68.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.35 CLP 1,202

61.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.21 CLP 1,073

14.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.23 CLP 1,090

-8.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$5.53 CLP 4,917

-24.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$4.51 CLP 4,006

215.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.59 CLP 1,414

10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.20 CLP 1,960

67.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.58 CLP 515

-32.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.50 CLP 447

178.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.53 CLP 1,363

-80.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.53 CLP 1,356

-11.76%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$19.9K CLP 17.7M

-5.21%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$21.1K CLP 18.8M

9.71%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$134 CLP 119.2K

-69.55%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$13.69 CLP 12.2K

100.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$22.18 CLP 19.7K

36.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$38.16 CLP 33.9K

40.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$21.33 CLP 19.0K

23.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$5.68 CLP 5,055

10.39%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$432 CLP 384.4K

0.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$50.1 CLP 44.5K

13.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$29.74 CLP 26.4K

50.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$61.5 CLP 54.7K

67.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$82.5 CLP 73.3K

30.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$348 CLP 309.4K

187.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$369 CLP 328.0K

68.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$852 CLP 757.4K

150.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$590 CLP 524.8K

109.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,543 CLP 1.4M

150.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,368 CLP 1.2M

70.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,213 CLP 1.1M

-12.02%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Calama: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $348 in Calama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calama pays 14% 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 $34.00 in Calama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $225 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 38% 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 14% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $348 in Calama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% 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 $1,077 in Calama – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,077 in Calama versus $1,484 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 $1,077 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 38% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.