Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cancun

For one person, living is cheaper in Cancun: $1,398 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Cancun
Learn more

Cancun Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Cancun

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Cancun

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Cancun actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,567 per month in Mexico City vs $1,398 in Cancun, rent included.

Mexico City $1,567
Cancun $1,398

A couple spends around $2,450 per month in Mexico City vs $2,267 in Cancun, rent included.

Mexico City $2,450
Cancun $2,267

A family of three spends $3,333 per month in Mexico City vs $3,136 in Cancun, rent included.

Mexico City $3,333
Cancun $3,136

Mexico City costs about 12% more than Cancun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mexico City and Cancun sit above the global median – Mexico City by 16%, Cancun by 4%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$199

$10.84 MX$200

-0.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$929

$53.8 MX$994

-6.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

$11.55 MX$213

-3.90%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$3.86 MX$71.4

-4.66%

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

$1.65 MX$30.42

$1.34 MX$24.78

23.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$24.08

$0.84 MX$15.57

54.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$3.06 MX$56.6

8.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$4.13 MX$76.3

34.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$1.64 MX$30.29

7.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$2.58 MX$47.72

18.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.20

$1.68 MX$31.12

19.64%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.1

$2.80 MX$51.7

-1.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$220

$9.89 MX$183

20.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$8.81 MX$163

5.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$278

$14.21 MX$263

5.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.8

$2.93 MX$54.1

5.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.97

$1.67 MX$30.88

16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.54

$3.01 MX$55.5

-32.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$2.19 MX$40.55

0.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.41

$1.94 MX$35.91

4.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.67

$1.96 MX$36.26

-7.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$1.15 MX$21.23

32.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

$1.22 MX$22.51

4.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

$4.34 MX$80.3

21.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

$10.03 MX$185

60.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

$1.59 MX$29.38

22.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

$2.80 MX$51.8

51.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.82

$0.68 MX$12.66

-54.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

$29.10 MX$538

-31.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$4.33 MX$79.9

-53.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

$2.82 MX$52.1

-81.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

$13.71 MX$253

-59.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$1.53 MX$28.28

-0.65%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

$21.3K MX$394.3K

-1.42%

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

$23.8K MX$439.8K

5.79%

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

$62.5 MX$1,155

$170 MX$3,149

-63.33%

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

$28.77 MX$532

$23.44 MX$433

22.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$637

$38.92 MX$719

-11.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,055

$32.26 MX$596

77.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

$13.21 MX$244

87.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$7.29 MX$135

-8.50%

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

$431 MX$7,964

$204 MX$3,761

111.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

$5,396 MX$99.7K

117.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,308

$54.1 MX$999

30.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$958

$55.3 MX$1,021

-6.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,011

$74.0 MX$1,368

47.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,076

$94.0 MX$1,737

19.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$660 MX$12.2K

59.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.3K

$457 MX$8,445

45.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.3K

$1,404 MX$26.0K

67.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.7K

$1,059 MX$19.6K

15.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

$1,266 MX$23.4K

180.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

$1,945 MX$35.9K

1.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

$801 MX$14.8K

21.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.45

-1.31%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cancun: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

Cancun

$457 32.7% 31.3% $208

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

Cancun

$287 20.5% 11.1% $36

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

Cancun

$200 14.3% 1.5% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

Cancun

$125 8.9% 19.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Cancun

$233 16.6% 85.2% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Cancun

$47 3.4% 33.5% $24

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

Cancun

$50 3.6% 94.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,051 in Mexico City versus $660 in Cancun. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 22% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Mexico City versus $54.0 in Cancun. Groceries tell a different story – $323 in Mexico City vs $287 in Cancun – so Cancun wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇽 Cancun

🕒 Local time

06:28 6:28 AM

07:28 7:28 AM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

888,797

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Cancun 1,300 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Cancun

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Cancun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City, $1,398 in Cancun – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,351 per month in Mexico City and $2,098 in Cancun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cancun, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $431 per month in Mexico City and $204 in Cancun. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cancun, where all-in costs run around $1,398, than in Mexico City at $1,567. In Cancun it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,398 in Cancun to $1,567 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cancun. 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.