Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Castro

For one person, living is cheaper in Castro: $858 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Castro

🇨🇱 Chile

$858

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Castro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $858 in Castro, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Castro $858

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $1,360 in Castro, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Castro $1,360

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $1,862 in Castro, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Castro $1,862

Mexico City costs about 87% more than Castro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Castro is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$8.02 CLP 7,833

32.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$44.65 CLP 43.6K

8.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$5.70 CLP 5,565

81.58%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$1.54 CLP 1,507

139.61%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$1.19 CLP 1,164

40.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$1.03 CLP 1,005

23.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$5.18 CLP 5,066

-38.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$7.13 CLP 6,964

-25.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$1.06 CLP 1,040

62.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$3.52 CLP 3,435

-13.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.27 CLP 1,244

52.76%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$4.21 CLP 4,113

-31.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$9.85 CLP 9,628

11.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$4.01 CLP 3,922

130.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$8.37 CLP 8,180

80.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$1.38 CLP 1,345

121.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$2.15 CLP 2,104

-9.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$1.49 CLP 1,452

36.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$1.88 CLP 1,837

22.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$1.17 CLP 1,140

74.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$1.56 CLP 1,521

-5.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$1.47 CLP 1,441

-13.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$3.56 CLP 3,479

48.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$7.63 CLP 7,451

111.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$1.03 CLP 1,002

92.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$3.00 CLP 2,929

41.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$0.71 CLP 698

-56.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$1.29 CLP 1,262

17.05%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$15.3K CLP 14.9M

42.63%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$17.9K CLP 17.5M

33.87%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$130 CLP 127.0K

-51.55%

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

$27.39 MX$511

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$29.80 CLP 29.1K

19.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

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

$432 MX$8,045

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$79.4 CLP 77.6K

35.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$351 CLP 342.7K

217.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$279 CLP 272.7K

154.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$1,012 CLP 988.5K

155.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$570 CLP 556.5K

146.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$600 CLP 586.0K

57.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

62.14%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Castro: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Castro

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Castro

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Castro

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Castro

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Castro

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Castro

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Castro

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $351 in Castro. 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 58% 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 $48 in Mexico City versus $45 in Castro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $231 – making Castro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇱 Castro

🕒 Local time

14:34 2:34 PM

17:34 5:34 PM

3 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

33,417

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,088 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Castro 7,360 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Castro

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 Castro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 87% more than Castro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $1,286 in Castro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Castro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $351 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $858 in Castro. That makes Castro about 47% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,608 in Mexico City and $858 in Castro. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $858 in Castro to $1,608 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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