Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cayo Coco Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cayo Coco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,205 in Cayo Coco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,691 in Cayo Coco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,177 in Cayo Coco.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 39% more expensive than in Cayo Coco, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Cayo Coco is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$4.86 CUP 117

149.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$913

$14.97 CUP 359

260.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$6.85 CUP 164

61.90%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.4

$1.02 CUP 24.51

301.96%

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

$1.68 MX$28.49

$2.02 CUP 48.57

-16.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.52

$0.98 CUP 23.62

41.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.4

$1.96 CUP 47.01

69.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.6

$2.94 CUP 70.7

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.36

$2.91 CUP 69.9

-36.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.7

$1.02 CUP 24.42

210.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.08

$2.05 CUP 49.09

0.98%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.60

$3.69 CUP 88.6

-20.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$213

$5.83 CUP 140

115.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$5.13 CUP 123

97.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$10.15 CUP 243

58.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.4

$4.90 CUP 118

-30.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.21

$1.03 CUP 24.72

101.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.92

$1.03 CUP 24.61

105.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.89

$0.98 CUP 23.63

145.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.07

$0.98 CUP 23.61

117.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$33.97

$3.03 CUP 72.8

-33.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.18

$0.98 CUP 23.59

58.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.12

$0.98 CUP 23.57

38.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.7

$3.08 CUP 73.8

87.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$9.84 CUP 236

80.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.07

$2.03 CUP 48.83

1.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.2

$1.96 CUP 47.09

135.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.20

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$20.29 CUP 487

4.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.79

$1.02 CUP 24.51

100.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$1.01 CUP 24.27

-42.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$20.34 CUP 488

-70.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.30

$0.98 CUP 23.46

58.16%

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

$22.9K MX$387.5K

$69.4K CUP 1.7M

-67.02%

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

$27.2K MX$461.4K

$78.7K CUP 1.9M

-65.38%

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

$67.4 MX$1,142

$40.14 CUP 963

67.94%

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

$30.62 MX$519

$39.72 CUP 953

-22.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$631

$219 CUP 5,268

-83.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,041

$39.25 CUP 942

56.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$459

$10.19 CUP 245

166.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$120

$1.03 CUP 24.66

590.29%

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

$456 MX$7,728

$91.3 CUP 2,192

399.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.0K

$14.9K CUP 356.9K

-7.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,257

$40.44 CUP 970

83.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$966

$29.62 CUP 711

92.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,955

$73.5 CUP 1,765

56.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,059

$80.2 CUP 1,925

51.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.4K

$407 CUP 9,762

182.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$420 CUP 10.1K

68.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$1,049 CUP 25.2K

145.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$21.9K

$614 CUP 14.7K

110.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$304 CUP 7,297

1217.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$345 CUP 8,286

516.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.3K

$20.09 CUP 482

5286.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

13.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cayo Coco: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $407 in Cayo Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 5286% 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 $15.00 in Cayo Coco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $234 per month, with Cayo Coco 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 Cayo Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cayo Coco wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cayo Coco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 5286% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $407 in Cayo Coco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cayo Coco runs roughly 4% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $91.3 in Cayo Coco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,205 in Cayo Coco versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cayo Coco but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cayo Coco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cayo Coco delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,205 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cayo Coco hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cayo Coco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.