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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,682 in Cento.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $2,733 in Cento.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $3,783 in Cento.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 1% less than in Cento, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 21% above, Cento 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$21.12 €18.38

-43.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$93.9 €81.7

-45.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$12.03 €10.47

-5.15%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$2.26 €1.97

76.55%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$3.37 €2.94

-50.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$1.66 €1.45

-19.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$6.44 €5.60

-46.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$5.80 €5.05

1.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.42 €1.24

32.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$2.79 €2.43

16.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$2.75 €2.39

-21.45%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$3.99 €3.47

-27.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$19.38 €16.86

-33.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$12.83 €11.17

-21.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$17.95 €15.62

-11.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$2.28 €1.98

44.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.70 €1.48

18.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.94 €1.69

13.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$2.61 €2.27

-9.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$1.57 €1.37

30.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$1.40 €1.22

35.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$1.70 €1.48

-5.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.56 €0.49

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$6.99 €6.09

-21.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$8.13 €7.07

117.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$1.60 €1.40

28.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$2.00 €1.74

134.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$1.72 €1.49

-80.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$49.48 €43.06

-57.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$4.62 €4.02

-54.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$1.53 €1.33

-63.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$28.69 €24.97

-79.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.13 €1.85

-24.41%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$36.9K €32.2K

-38.18%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$35.7K €31.1K

-25.02%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$225 €195

-70.98%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$11.56 €10.06

160.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$28.32 €24.64

31.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$50.3 €43.74

18.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$25.02 €21.78

6.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$10.37 €9.03

-32.11%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$579 €504

-19.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$4,588 €3,993

189.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$96.7 €84.1

-21.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$43.52 €37.88

28.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$103 €89.5

8.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$155 €135

-22.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$557 €485

97.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$465 €405

54.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$1,102 €959

129.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$972 €846

33.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$3,122 €2,717

27.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,998 €1,739

4.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$1,812 €1,577

-42.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.22

250.93%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cento: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $557 in Cento. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cento pays 75% 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 $94.0 in Cento. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $337, with Cento 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 Cento: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Cento. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Cento. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $557 in Cento. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 138% less than in Cento. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $579 in Cento. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,682 in Cento, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Cento. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,660 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Cento. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.