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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,095 in Calama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,605 in Calama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,115 in Calama.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 34% more expensive than in Calama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Calama is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$8.17 CLP 7,599

60.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$33.06 CLP 30.8K

61.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$8.02 CLP 7,466

16.33%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.10 CLP 1,951

76.19%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.00 CLP 932

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.94 CLP 874

19.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$3.32 CLP 3,086

-5.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$4.13 CLP 3,846

17.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.22 CLP 1,140

35.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.51 CLP 1,409

79.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.91 CLP 1,781

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$3.45 CLP 3,209

-24.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$10.61 CLP 9,869

-7.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$6.80 CLP 6,325

23.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$10.79 CLP 10.0K

10.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.83 CLP 1,698

61.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.57 CLP 1,463

10.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.60 CLP 1,493

27.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.46 CLP 1,355

41.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.28 CLP 1,188

67.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.40 CLP 1,300

61.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.21 CLP 1,127

14.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.17 CLP 1,092

-4.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$5.48 CLP 5,100

-22.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$5.75 CLP 5,348

204.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.56 CLP 1,452

9.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.33 CLP 2,164

55.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.57 CLP 533

-38.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.51 CLP 472

170.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$1.46 CLP 1,356

-80.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.59 CLP 1,481

-14.47%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$19.3K CLP 18.0M

-1.20%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$21.4K CLP 19.9M

10.50%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$134 CLP 124.8K

-69.78%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$13.74 CLP 12.8K

99.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$21.91 CLP 20.4K

38.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$38.09 CLP 35.4K

37.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$21.35 CLP 19.9K

24.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$5.82 CLP 5,414

6.36%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$443 CLP 412.5K

-4.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$51.5 CLP 47.9K

13.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$29.75 CLP 27.7K

49.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$60.8 CLP 56.5K

70.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$82.2 CLP 76.4K

32.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$346 CLP 322.1K

192.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$370 CLP 344.4K

68.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$851 CLP 791.9K

149.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$597 CLP 555.2K

105.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$1,455 CLP 1.4M

160.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,265 CLP 1.2M

66.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$1,184 CLP 1.1M

-11.11%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Calama: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $346 in Calama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calama pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $33.00 in Calama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $229 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 34% 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 12% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $346 in Calama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% 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 $1,095 in Calama – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,095 in Calama versus $1,472 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 $1,095 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 34% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.