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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $748 in Changchun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,109 in Changchun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,469 in Changchun.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 95% more expensive than in Changchun, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Changchun is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$2.77 ¥18.71

371.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$20.26 ¥137

165.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.92 ¥33.27

96.75%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.57 ¥17.36

45.53%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.48 ¥3.27

237.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.29 ¥1.97

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$0.83 ¥5.58

289.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.04 ¥13.77

132.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.89 ¥12.77

-12.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.25 ¥8.42

120.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.28 ¥8.67

46.09%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.10 ¥7.45

127.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$12.67 ¥85.6

-19.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$3.42 ¥23.08

141.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$8.41 ¥56.8

40.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.47 ¥9.90

104.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.03 ¥6.95

75.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$0.86 ¥5.81

132.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.30 ¥8.81

53.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.73 ¥4.93

184.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.66 ¥4.46

243.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.44 ¥2.94

231.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.56 ¥3.76

92.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.21 ¥21.68

35.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$11.69 ¥79.0

45.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$0.67 ¥4.50

158.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$0.94 ¥6.36

280.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.27 ¥1.81

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$16.96 ¥115

10.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.08 ¥7.30

23.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.26 ¥1.76

7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$3.43 ¥23.15

53.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.12 ¥7.55

19.64%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$18.2K ¥122.8K

6.83%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$18.7K ¥126.0K

27.76%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$42.61 ¥288

-4.51%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$14.76 ¥99.7

82.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$14.14 ¥95.6

115.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$42.40 ¥287

24.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$3.75 ¥25.35

610.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$5.00 ¥33.81

30.20%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$284 ¥1,919

50.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$8,474 ¥57.3K

23.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$27.58 ¥186

107.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$30.90 ¥209

47.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$74.1 ¥501

40.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$77.5 ¥524

39.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$276 ¥1,864

263.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$233 ¥1,577

166.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$596 ¥4,024

254.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$358 ¥2,420

240.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,745 ¥11.8K

122.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$993 ¥6,709

104.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$942 ¥6,366

10.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.27

115.18%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Changchun: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $276 in Changchun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 10% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $20.00 in Changchun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $185 per month, with Changchun 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 Changchun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changchun is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $276 in Changchun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Changchun runs roughly 10% 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 $284 in Changchun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $748 in Changchun versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changchun but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Changchun the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changchun 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.

Expats usually find Changchun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.