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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,434 in Centurion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $2,285 in Centurion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $3,136 in Centurion.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 17% more expensive than in Centurion, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 22% above, Centurion 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$22.24 R 360

-45.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$916

$41.63 R 673

29.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$6.18 R 100.0

79.45%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.6

$2.73 R 44.19

50.18%

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

$1.68 MX$28.57

$1.00 R 16.20

68.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.58

$0.89 R 14.41

56.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.6

$2.25 R 36.43

48.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.9

$2.51 R 40.69

134.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.45

$1.26 R 20.44

46.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.9

$1.29 R 20.87

145.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.18

$2.20 R 35.52

-5.91%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.74

$3.15 R 50.9

-6.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$10.29 R 166

22.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$6.88 R 111

46.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$7.25 R 117

121.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.6

$1.88 R 30.35

80.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.31

$1.85 R 29.89

12.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.02

$2.30 R 37.15

-7.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$41.01

$2.18 R 35.22

10.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.17

$1.65 R 26.77

29.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.07

$1.95 R 31.48

3.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.40 R 22.57

10.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.19

$1.52 R 24.60

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$98.0

$3.79 R 61.4

52.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$6.37 R 103

178.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.16

$1.63 R 26.38

26.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.4

$2.11 R 34.21

118.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$2.46 R 39.84

-84.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$360

$101 R 1,628

-78.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.89

$1.21 R 19.62

69.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.80

$1.22 R 19.71

-52.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$9.14 R 148

-33.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.38

$1.42 R 22.92

9.15%

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

$22.9K MX$388.6K

$36.6K R 591.6K

-37.45%

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

$27.2K MX$462.7K

$33.6K R 543.4K

-18.91%

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

$67.4 MX$1,145

$146 R 2,355

-53.68%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$31.61 R 511

-3.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$633

$42.69 R 691

-12.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,044

$45.99 R 744

33.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$461

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$11.11 R 180

-36.00%

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

$456 MX$7,750

$319 R 5,164

42.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.6K

$4,504 R 72.9K

204.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,260

$60.7 R 982

22.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$969

$45.61 R 738

24.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,961

$122 R 1,979

-5.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,064

$108 R 1,743

12.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$349 R 5,649

228.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.1K

$391 R 6,327

81.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.8K

$604 R 9,769

326.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$925 R 15.0K

39.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$68.0K

$543 R 8,783

637.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.2K

$638 R 10.3K

234.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$2,456 R 39.7K

-55.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.5

7.62%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Centurion: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $349 in Centurion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 127% 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 $42.00 in Centurion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $232 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 17% 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 127% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $349 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 $456 in Mexico City versus $319 in Centurion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,434 in Centurion versus $1,677 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 $1,434 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 17% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.