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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,123 in Cesis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,866 in Cesis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,609 in Cesis.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 48% more expensive than in Cesis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Cesis is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$17.03 €14.84

-30.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$70.1 €61.0

-26.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$9.70 €8.45

17.63%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$3.77 €3.29

5.84%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.66 €1.45

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$1.19 €1.04

11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$5.69 €4.95

-39.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$4.75 €4.14

24.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.16 €1.01

62.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.54 €1.34

111.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$2.51 €2.19

-13.94%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.75 €2.40

5.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$10.73 €9.35

19.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$8.64 €7.53

16.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$14.68 €12.79

8.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$2.28 €1.98

44.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.91 €1.67

5.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$2.38 €2.08

-7.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$3.07 €2.67

-23.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$0.89 €0.77

130.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$0.99 €0.87

91.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.84 €1.61

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$1.01 €0.88

38.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$7.06 €6.15

-22.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$8.07 €7.03

118.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.78 €1.55

15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$2.05 €1.79

128.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$3.51 €3.06

-40.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$1.05 €0.92

-46.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$18.13 €15.80

-67.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$2.01 €1.75

-19.90%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$27.6K €24.1K

-17.34%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$31.4K €27.4K

-14.89%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$375 €327

-82.61%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$21.53 €18.75

39.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$20.30 €17.68

83.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$11.28 €9.83

-37.59%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$661 €576

-29.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$18.1K €15.7K

-26.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$71.1 €61.9

6.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$51.2 €44.57

9.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$88.4 €77.1

26.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$140 €122

-14.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$287 €250

351.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$1,930 €1,682

-46.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.4

370.83%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cesis: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Cesis pays 86% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $70.0 in Cesis. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $268, with Cesis 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 Cesis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cesis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Cesis. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $661 in Cesis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cesis – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,123 in Cesis versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cesis but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cesis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cesis is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Cesis 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 Cesis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.