Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Celaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Celaya: $903 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Celaya
Learn more

Celaya Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Celaya

🇲🇽 Mexico

$903

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $903 in Celaya.

Mexico City $1,608
Celaya $903

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,423 in Celaya.

Mexico City $2,549
Celaya $1,423

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,944 in Celaya.

Mexico City $3,490
Celaya $1,944

Living in Mexico City is roughly 78% more expensive than in Celaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Celaya is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$12.40 MX$233

-14.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$43.66 MX$820

10.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$6.98 MX$131

48.28%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$3.18 MX$59.7

16.04%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$1.17 MX$22.02

42.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$1.09 MX$20.52

16.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$2.11 MX$39.70

51.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$3.14 MX$59.0

69.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$1.42 MX$26.60

21.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$2.13 MX$40.11

42.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.50 MX$28.17

29.33%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$2.16 MX$40.66

33.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$7.94 MX$149

38.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$8.13 MX$153

13.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$11.44 MX$215

32.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$2.17 MX$40.82

40.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.07 MX$20.05

81.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$1.45 MX$27.34

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$1.07 MX$20.08

115.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$1.57 MX$29.58

29.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$1.37 MX$25.69

31.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$1.01 MX$19.03

46.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$0.77 MX$14.56

64.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$4.26 MX$80.0

24.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$8.56 MX$161

88.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$1.77 MX$33.35

11.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$3.35 MX$63.1

26.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.62 MX$11.61

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$27.20 MX$511

-27.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$1.23 MX$23.06

49.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$1.07 MX$20.20

-50.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$10.98 MX$206

-51.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$1.45 MX$27.29

4.14%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$23.9K MX$449.7K

-9.09%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$23.6K MX$442.6K

1.85%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$35.91 MX$675

75.38%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$18.80 MX$353

45.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$18.77 MX$353

90.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$31.68 MX$595

86.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$27.10 MX$509

-12.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$4.88 MX$91.7

31.15%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$213 MX$3,999

102.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$2,823 MX$53.1K

304.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$53.2 MX$1,001

28.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$38.46 MX$723

38.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$101 MX$1,896

6.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$70.5 MX$1,326

66.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$247 MX$4,635

351.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$219 MX$4,109

224.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$376 MX$7,064

588.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$278 MX$5,226

405.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$806 MX$15.1K

17.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

11.2

1.34%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Celaya: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Celaya

$219 24.2% 69.2% $492

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Celaya

$231 25.6% 27.7% $89

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Celaya

$184 20.4% 7.3% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Celaya

$118 13.1% 24% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Celaya

$73 8.1% 41.7% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Celaya

$41 4.6% 42.2% $30

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Celaya

$36 4% 42.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $247 in Celaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 17% 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: $48 in Mexico City vs $44 in Celaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $231 per month, with Celaya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇽 Celaya

🕒 Local time

22:51 10:51 PM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

378,143

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Celaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $903 in Celaya, so Celaya is about 44% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $247 in Celaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Celaya – a meal for two runs $44 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $903 in Celaya – Celaya is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $903 in Celaya versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Celaya but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Celaya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Celaya wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.