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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,139 in Centurion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,860 in Centurion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,580 in Centurion.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 29% more expensive than Centurion, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Centurion is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$10.55 R 171

24.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$33.64 R 547

60.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.79 R 77.8

96.66%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.03 R 33.03

74.88%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.02 R 16.59

58.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.81 R 13.13

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.22 R 36.14

40.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.48 R 40.32

86.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.19 R 19.34

42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.06 R 17.19

156.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.66 R 26.98

15.06%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.43 R 39.47

4.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$8.14 R 132

23.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.84 R 78.7

67.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.66 R 108

74.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.62 R 26.37

83.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.48 R 24.06

22.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.62 R 26.26

24.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.64 R 26.71

23.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.34 R 21.75

58.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.45 R 23.59

56.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.09 R 17.79

28.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.07 R 17.36

5.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.06 R 49.69

39.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$6.17 R 100

152.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.44 R 23.47

22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.72 R 28.00

109.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$2.18 R 35.50

-82.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$91.0 R 1,479

-78.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.13 R 18.39

22.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.07 R 17.31

-73.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$4.04 R 65.7

34.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.31 R 21.25

-0.76%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$22.8K R 370.1K

-17.95%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$24.3K R 395.1K

-4.87%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$120 R 1,951

-65.97%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$37.25 R 605

-28.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$42.33 R 688

-29.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$41.89 R 681

24.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$0.93 R 15.13

2786.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.71 R 125

-18.29%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$209 R 3,392

108.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,282 R 69.6K

143.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$49.86 R 810

13.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$32.17 R 523

37.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$86.5 R 1,406

18.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$88.2 R 1,433

19.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$319 R 5,179

220.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$329 R 5,352

91.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$527 R 8,567

305.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$803 R 13.1K

54.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$522 R 8,489

647.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$591 R 9,611

249.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$2,129 R 34.6K

-47.64%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Centurion: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $319 in Centurion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 91% 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 $288 vs $186 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 29% 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, Centurion earns 91% less. 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $319 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 $436 in Mexico City versus $209 in Centurion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,139 in Centurion versus $1,467 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 $1,139 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 29% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.