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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $600 in Chilanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $955 in Chilanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,310 in Chilanga.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 177% more expensive than in Chilanga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Chilanga is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$5.89 ZMW 115

102.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$30.85 ZMW 604

67.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$5.15 ZMW 101

121.55%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$2.86 ZMW 55.9

39.51%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$0.80 ZMW 15.72

107.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.50 ZMW 9.86

166.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$1.28 ZMW 25.05

171.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$2.41 ZMW 47.12

144.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.83 ZMW 35.75

2.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.26 ZMW 24.75

157.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$2.10 ZMW 41.17

2.86%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.03 ZMW 39.66

42.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$10.83 ZMW 212

18.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.39 ZMW 125

57.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$6.61 ZMW 129

139.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$3.47 ZMW 68.0

-5.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$2.55 ZMW 49.91

-21.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$3.69 ZMW 72.2

-40.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$1.62 ZMW 31.68

45.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$2.59 ZMW 50.7

-20.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.85 ZMW 36.13

2.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.15 ZMW 22.55

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.82 ZMW 16.13

70.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$3.05 ZMW 59.7

79.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$10.23 ZMW 200

72.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.45 ZMW 28.32

42.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$2.34 ZMW 45.89

100.00%

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

$2.69 ZMW 52.6

-21.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$1.60 ZMW 31.29

-65.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$5.19 ZMW 102

11.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.62 ZMW 31.67

-0.62%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$7,842 ZMW 153.5K

191.28%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$27.0K ZMW 529.3K

-1.08%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$83.2 ZMW 1,629

-21.68%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$10.89 ZMW 213

176.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$57.8 ZMW 1,131

-35.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$6.08 ZMW 119

15.79%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$141 ZMW 2,760

229.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$16.9K ZMW 329.8K

-21.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$24.11 ZMW 472

214.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$15.96 ZMW 312

250.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$46.08 ZMW 902

142.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$75.1 ZMW 1,471

60.37%

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

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-61.03%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Chilanga: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $31.00 in Chilanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $246 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 177% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $600 including rent). Chilanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $900 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 $465 in Mexico City versus $141 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 $31.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $600 in Chilanga versus $1,660 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 177% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.