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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,142 in Centurion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,860 in Centurion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,577 in Centurion.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 27% more expensive than in Centurion, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$10.55 R 174

23.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$33.51 R 553

60.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.63 R 76.4

109.07%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.10 R 34.70

78.10%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.98 R 16.25

65.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.80 R 13.26

45.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.29 R 37.74

41.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.48 R 40.96

91.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.19 R 19.65

38.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.03 R 16.97

166.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.64 R 27.13

14.02%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.51 R 41.36

-0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$8.27 R 137

23.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.89 R 80.7

68.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$6.70 R 111

76.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.66 R 27.40

81.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.54 R 25.47

17.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.66 R 27.47

20.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.59 R 26.19

25.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.33 R 22.00

56.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.46 R 24.09

55.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.09 R 17.99

33.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.06 R 17.49

1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.13 R 51.6

38.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$6.06 R 100

180.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.44 R 23.81

20.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.72 R 28.35

108.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$2.22 R 36.65

-82.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$88.7 R 1,464

-78.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.14 R 18.88

16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.10 R 18.10

-74.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$4.05 R 66.8

29.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.25 R 20.57

7.20%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$22.5K R 371.6K

-13.79%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$23.6K R 388.7K

1.19%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$116 R 1,919

-65.01%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$37.89 R 625

-29.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$41.49 R 685

-26.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$41.87 R 691

26.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$1.02 R 16.84

2512.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$7.38 R 122

-11.79%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$204 R 3,369

109.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$4,328 R 71.4K

142.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$49.82 R 822

14.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$32.76 R 541

38.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$88.1 R 1,454

18.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$87.0 R 1,435

23.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$314 R 5,181

219.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$329 R 5,431

89.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$530 R 8,745

298.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$811 R 13.4K

50.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$530 R 8,743

633.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$602 R 9,940

237.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$2,165 R 35.7K

-52.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.69

-2.99%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Centurion: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $314 in Centurion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 109% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Centurion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $187 per month, with Centurion 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 Centurion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Centurion wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Centurion the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 109% lower in Centurion. 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $314 in Centurion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Centurion runs roughly 375% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $204 in Centurion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,142 in Centurion versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Centurion but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Centurion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Centurion delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,142 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Centurion hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Centurion are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Centurion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.