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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $638 in Chilanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $958 in Chilanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,278 in Chilanga.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 132% more expensive than Chilanga, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Chilanga is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$7.35 ZMW 140

76.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$24.59 ZMW 467

115.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$3.62 ZMW 68.7

168.51%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.00 ZMW 37.89

87.50%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.68 ZMW 12.86

130.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.36 ZMW 6.84

213.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$0.94 ZMW 17.90

238.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$1.74 ZMW 33.00

167.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.29 ZMW 24.39

25.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.80 ZMW 15.20

238.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.58 ZMW 29.96

18.99%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.79 ZMW 34.00

40.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$7.72 ZMW 147

30.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.92 ZMW 74.4

111.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$4.64 ZMW 88.2

157.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.56 ZMW 48.67

11.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.67 ZMW 31.65

4.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.77 ZMW 52.5

-24.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.16 ZMW 22.06

69.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.90 ZMW 36.14

13.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.37 ZMW 25.97

59.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.93 ZMW 17.62

49.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.51 ZMW 9.69

119.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.54 ZMW 48.26

65.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$8.02 ZMW 152

77.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.13 ZMW 21.45

55.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.49 ZMW 28.36

146.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$2.76 ZMW 52.4

-49.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$9.43 ZMW 179

-42.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.24 ZMW 23.54

8.87%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$7,908 ZMW 150.1K

138.79%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$28.9K ZMW 547.8K

-19.78%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$89.6 ZMW 1,701

-54.45%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$53.3 ZMW 1,012

-48.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$123 ZMW 2,341

-75.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$4.28 ZMW 81.3

46.50%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$174 ZMW 3,301

150.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$9,494 ZMW 180.2K

10.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$18.67 ZMW 354

204.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$17.11 ZMW 325

161.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$85.1 ZMW 1,614

20.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$73.5 ZMW 1,394

46.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-54.64%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chilanga: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $25.00 in Chilanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $174 per month, with Chilanga 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 Chilanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Chilanga differ by about 132% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $638 including rent). Chilanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $957 in Chilanga to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $174 in Chilanga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chilanga – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $638 in Chilanga versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chilanga but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Chilanga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Chilanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 132% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.