Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cayo Coco

For one person, living is cheaper in Cayo Coco: $1,236 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Cayo Coco
Learn more

Cayo Coco Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Cayo Coco

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,236

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Cayo Coco

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,236 in Cayo Coco.

Mexico City $1,548
Cayo Coco $1,236

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,692 in Cayo Coco.

Mexico City $2,436
Cayo Coco $1,692

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $2,148 in Cayo Coco.

Mexico City $3,323
Cayo Coco $2,148

Living in Mexico City is roughly 25% more expensive than in Cayo Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Cayo Coco is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$4.92 CUP 118

123.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$14.82 CUP 356

228.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$6.98 CUP 168

56.16%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$1.02 CUP 24.56

260.78%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$1.95 CUP 46.75

-16.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$1.02 CUP 24.53

22.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$2.01 CUP 48.33

61.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$3.08 CUP 73.9

79.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$3.05 CUP 73.3

-44.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.03 CUP 24.60

193.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$2.04 CUP 48.95

-5.88%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$3.71 CUP 88.9

-26.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$6.11 CUP 147

92.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$4.86 CUP 117

96.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$9.97 CUP 239

44.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$5.12 CUP 123

-41.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.02 CUP 24.42

85.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$1.02 CUP 24.52

95.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$0.97 CUP 23.34

125.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$1.01 CUP 24.36

90.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$3.06 CUP 73.4

-38.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$0.97 CUP 23.39

48.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.98 CUP 23.42

29.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$3.03 CUP 72.8

72.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$9.83 CUP 236

64.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.95 CUP 46.69

-2.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$2.02 CUP 48.42

108.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$19.63 CUP 471

0.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$1.03 CUP 24.64

94.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$1.03 CUP 24.67

-49.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$19.65 CUP 472

-72.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.02 CUP 24.42

49.02%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$69.0K CUP 1.7M

-68.00%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$79.6K CUP 1.9M

-69.21%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$39.88 CUP 957

53.13%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$40.74 CUP 978

-29.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$223 CUP 5,340

-84.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$40.30 CUP 967

39.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$9.86 CUP 237

152.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$1.02 CUP 24.46

552.94%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$90.0 CUP 2,160

374.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$15.0K CUP 359.4K

-22.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$40.51 CUP 972

67.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$29.52 CUP 708

76.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$75.2 CUP 1,806

40.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$79.9 CUP 1,917

40.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$394 CUP 9,451

160.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$427 CUP 10.3K

53.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$1,071 CUP 25.7K

115.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$615 CUP 14.8K

101.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$296 CUP 7,112

1119.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$356 CUP 8,534

444.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$19.74 CUP 474

4783.84%

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: October 20, 2026

Last update for Cayo Coco: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Cayo Coco

$427 34.6% 34.7% $227

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Cayo Coco

$235 19% 26.1% $83

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Cayo Coco

$101 8.2% 50.6% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Cayo Coco

$101 8.2% 33.5% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Cayo Coco

$303 24.5% 144% $179

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Cayo Coco

$42 3.4% 39.2% $27

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Cayo Coco

$26 * 2.1% 0.7% $0.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $394 in Cayo Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 4784% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $15.00 in Cayo Coco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $235 per month, with Cayo Coco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇺 Cayo Coco

🕒 Local time

07:55 7:55 AM

09:55 9:55 AM

2 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Cayo Coco 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Cayo Coco

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 Cayo Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cayo Coco wins on cost – living expenses run 25% 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 4784% 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $394 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 0% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $90.0 in Cayo Coco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,236 in Cayo Coco versus $1,548 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 $1,236 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 25% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.