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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $744 in Cali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,224 in Cali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,704 in Cali.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 97% more expensive than Cali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Cali is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.65 COP 13.0K

261.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$29.25 COP 104.5K

84.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.36 COP 26.3K

27.99%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.61 COP 5,754

120.50%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.94 COP 3,353

72.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.55 COP 1,979

101.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.06 COP 3,775

194.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.56 COP 9,130

80.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.22 COP 4,347

39.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.53 COP 5,465

77.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.21 COP 4,319

57.85%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.46 COP 8,779

3.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$4.29 COP 15.3K

133.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.47 COP 19.5K

47.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.60 COP 27.1K

52.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.40 COP 8,570

23.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$0.97 COP 3,474

86.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.20 COP 4,274

67.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.27 COP 4,548

59.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.88 COP 3,148

140.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.11 COP 3,949

104.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.75 COP 2,679

86.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.65 COP 2,323

73.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.90 COP 10.3K

47.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$11.48 COP 41.0K

35.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.10 COP 3,932

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.84 COP 6,584

95.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.67 COP 2,407

-43.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$20.20 COP 72.1K

-5.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.54 COP 5,485

-10.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.88 COP 6,707

-85.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$9.80 COP 35.0K

-44.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.93 COP 3,304

39.78%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$21.4K COP 76.4M

-12.62%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$30.3K COP 108.3M

-23.74%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$80.9 COP 289.0K

-49.52%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$8.78 COP 31.4K

205.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$23.99 COP 85.7K

24.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$19.60 COP 70.0K

165.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$14.79 COP 52.8K

81.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.87 COP 17.4K

29.36%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$226 COP 807.0K

93.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$6,039 COP 21.6M

72.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$63.7 COP 227.5K

-11.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$44.16 COP 157.7K

0.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$78.6 COP 280.5K

31.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$89.5 COP 319.6K

17.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$234 COP 834.7K

337.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$186 COP 665.2K

238.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$609 COP 2.2M

250.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$408 COP 1.5M

204.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,101 COP 3.9M

254.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$890 COP 3.2M

131.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$494 COP 1.8M

125.54%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cali: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $234 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 126% 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 $288 vs $182 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 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 126% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $234 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $226 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 $744 in Cali versus $1,467 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 97% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.