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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,561 per month in Mexico City vs $359 in Calarasi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,440 per month in Mexico City vs $582 in Calarasi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,319 per month in Mexico City vs $805 in Calarasi, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 335% more than Calarasi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 16% above the global median, while Calarasi is 73% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$201

$11.24 MDL 200

-1.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$886

$22.36 MDL 397

119.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$203

$7.01 MDL 124

60.20%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$67.9

$1.37 MDL 24.33

174.45%

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

$1.65 MX$29.87

$0.76 MDL 13.48

117.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.12

$0.46 MDL 8.22

178.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$58.9

$1.11 MDL 19.67

193.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$102

$1.44 MDL 25.60

293.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$32.71

$1.03 MDL 18.36

75.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$53.2

$0.32 MDL 5.75

818.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.04

Eggs

$2.93 MX$52.9

$1.94 MDL 34.50

51.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$216

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$172

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$268

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$56.8

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.42

$2.01 MDL 35.70

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$37.51

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.09

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.23

$0.67 MDL 11.81

207.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$33.93

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$26.76

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.31

$0.56 MDL 9.98

141.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$97.8

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$305

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$35.87

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$78.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$366

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$37.87

$1.14 MDL 20.28

84.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.59

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$97.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.48

$1.61 MDL 28.56

-5.59%

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

$21.7K MX$392.8K

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

$24.8K MX$448.5K

$20.3K MDL 360.2K

22.34%

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

$63.0 MX$1,138

$60.4 MDL 1,073

4.20%

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

$28.88 MX$522

$6.94 MDL 123

316.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$613

$10.25 MDL 182

231.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,008

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$122

$3.31 MDL 58.8

104.53%

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

$428 MX$7,732

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$214.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,266

$34.48 MDL 612

103.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$971

$34.02 MDL 604

57.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,984

$109 MDL 1,944

0.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,083

$34.27 MDL 609

236.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$22.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Calarasi: October 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Mexico City versus $22.00 in Calarasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $42.00 – making Calarasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Calarasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 335%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,341 per month in Mexico City and $538 in Calarasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 676% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Mexico City and $22.00 in Calarasi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calarasi, where all-in costs run around $359, than in Mexico City at $1,561. In Calarasi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Calarasi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Calarasi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.