Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Celaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Celaya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,065 in Celaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,689 in Celaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,313 in Celaya.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 56% more expensive than in Celaya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Celaya is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$11.65 MX$201

2.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$53.2 MX$916

-2.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$8.73 MX$151

30.70%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$3.54 MX$61.0

12.71%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$1.31 MX$22.60

26.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$1.18 MX$20.41

12.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$3.41 MX$58.8

1.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$5.76 MX$99.3

2.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.77 MX$30.60

6.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$3.20 MX$55.2

1.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.64 MX$28.32

31.71%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$2.27 MX$39.22

27.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$9.47 MX$163

35.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$10.12 MX$175

-0.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$15.27 MX$263

3.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.99 MX$51.5

10.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.15 MX$19.80

74.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.78 MX$30.64

23.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$1.15 MX$19.81

105.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$2.07 MX$35.77

-0.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.73 MX$29.88

9.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.18 MX$20.36

36.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.90 MX$15.48

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$5.68 MX$98.0

-3.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$14.54 MX$251

21.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$2.12 MX$36.49

-2.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$4.58 MX$79.0

2.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.63 MX$10.80

-46.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$29.67 MX$512

-29.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$2.07 MX$35.68

1.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.57 MX$9.81

-1.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$5.93 MX$102

-2.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.52 MX$26.25

5.92%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$22.5K MX$387.2K

1.71%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$26.4K MX$455.9K

1.16%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$40.35 MX$696

61.54%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$20.06 MX$346

50.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$20.10 MX$347

84.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$35.34 MX$609

69.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$29.65 MX$511

-10.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$5.38 MX$92.7

30.86%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$453 MX$7,805

2.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$13.5K MX$232.0K

-1.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$75.3 MX$1,298

0.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$55.1 MX$950

1.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$115 MX$1,981

-2.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$121 MX$2,080

-0.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$263 MX$4,540

318.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$233 MX$4,014

209.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$401 MX$6,920

530.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$303 MX$5,228

326.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$879 MX$15.2K

18.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Celaya: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $263 in Celaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 18% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $53.0 in Celaya. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $299, with Celaya cheaper for home cooking.

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

Mexico City and Celaya differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,065 including rent). Celaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $263 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 $53.0 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,660 per month in Mexico City versus $1,065 in Celaya – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,065 in Celaya versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 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.

Expats usually find Celaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.