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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $648 in Chilanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $962 in Chilanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,275 in Chilanga.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 127% more expensive than in Chilanga, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Chilanga is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$7.18 ZMW 134

83.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$24.89 ZMW 464

115.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$3.68 ZMW 68.6

153.53%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.02 ZMW 37.77

83.17%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.73 ZMW 13.53

119.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.37 ZMW 6.81

202.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$0.95 ZMW 17.74

230.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$1.75 ZMW 32.57

177.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.32 ZMW 24.69

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.75 ZMW 14.01

261.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.60 ZMW 29.93

19.37%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.86 ZMW 34.75

39.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$7.89 ZMW 147

24.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$3.92 ZMW 73.0

115.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$4.70 ZMW 87.6

153.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.60 ZMW 48.56

13.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.65 ZMW 30.79

5.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.78 ZMW 51.9

-26.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.12 ZMW 20.80

83.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.89 ZMW 35.20

13.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.37 ZMW 25.49

64.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.86 ZMW 15.95

61.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.48 ZMW 9.04

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$2.46 ZMW 45.93

71.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$10.74 ZMW 200

63.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.10 ZMW 20.44

55.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.57 ZMW 29.21

131.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$2.78 ZMW 51.8

-50.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$9.39 ZMW 175

-43.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.19 ZMW 22.27

14.29%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$8,103 ZMW 151.1K

135.75%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$28.6K ZMW 532.6K

-17.34%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$92.1 ZMW 1,718

-56.00%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$51.8 ZMW 967

-47.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$126 ZMW 2,358

-75.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$4.09 ZMW 76.3

51.34%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$180 ZMW 3,359

136.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$9,425 ZMW 175.8K

13.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$19.30 ZMW 360

202.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$16.72 ZMW 312

166.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$84.6 ZMW 1,577

22.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$74.4 ZMW 1,387

46.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Chilanga: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $25.00 in Chilanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $179 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 127% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $648 including rent). Chilanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $972 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 $425 in Mexico City versus $180 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 $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $648 in Chilanga versus $1,472 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 127% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.