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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $747 in Cali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,229 in Cali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,710 in Cali.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 95% more expensive than in Cali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Cali is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$3.65 COP 11.9K

258.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$940

$29.20 COP 94.9K

84.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$7.41 COP 24.1K

30.63%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.4

$1.58 COP 5,130

136.71%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$0.95 COP 3,095

70.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.31

$0.60 COP 1,940

93.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.4

$1.01 COP 3,297

219.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.9

$2.61 COP 8,484

81.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.80

$1.24 COP 4,029

33.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.15

$1.47 COP 4,770

87.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.77

$1.25 COP 4,076

49.60%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.72

$2.48 COP 8,065

0.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$4.33 COP 14.1K

135.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$5.36 COP 17.4K

53.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$7.49 COP 24.4K

57.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.6

$2.49 COP 8,108

20.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.67

$0.92 COP 2,986

96.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.96

$1.15 COP 3,749

73.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.89

$1.31 COP 4,260

52.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.45

$0.89 COP 2,881

133.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.72

$1.11 COP 3,593

104.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.47

$0.75 COP 2,427

94.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.82

$0.68 COP 2,211

58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.0

$2.91 COP 9,454

49.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$297

$12.88 COP 41.9K

31.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.31

$1.07 COP 3,478

61.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.5

$1.86 COP 6,040

92.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.77

$0.73 COP 2,386

-46.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$327

$20.17 COP 65.6K

-7.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.18

$1.55 COP 5,043

-14.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.89

$1.90 COP 6,171

-85.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.8

$9.45 COP 30.7K

-44.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.37

$0.98 COP 3,190

36.73%

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

$19.4K MX$339.4K

$21.9K COP 71.3M

-11.49%

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

$23.8K MX$416.7K

$29.6K COP 96.2M

-19.48%

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

$40.69 MX$712

$83.3 COP 270.9K

-51.16%

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

$26.87 MX$470

$8.94 COP 29.1K

200.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$534

$24.55 COP 79.8K

24.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$923

$19.79 COP 64.3K

166.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$466

$14.72 COP 47.9K

81.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$4.88 COP 15.9K

33.40%

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

$428 MX$7,485

$222 COP 720.7K

93.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.6K

$5,871 COP 19.1M

78.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,001

$64.0 COP 208.1K

-10.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$796

$43.51 COP 141.5K

4.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,819

$76.3 COP 248.1K

36.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,885

$89.5 COP 291.1K

20.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$241 COP 783.0K

316.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$188 COP 611.5K

231.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.9K

$615 COP 2.0M

243.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.3K

$398 COP 1.3M

205.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.9K

$1,258 COP 4.1M

208.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.5K

$990 COP 3.2M

105.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$554 COP 1.8M

87.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.58

-2.07%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Cali: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $241 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 87% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $29.00 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $184 per month, with Cali 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 Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $241 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $222 in Cali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $747 in Cali versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.