Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Chimaltenango

For one person, living is cheaper in Chimaltenango: $750 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Chimaltenango

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$750

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Chimaltenango

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Chimaltenango actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $750 in Chimaltenango, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Chimaltenango $750

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $1,252 in Chimaltenango, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Chimaltenango $1,252

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $1,753 in Chimaltenango, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Chimaltenango $1,753

Mexico City costs about 114% more than Chimaltenango, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Chimaltenango is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$6.93 Q 52.9

53.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$49.84 Q 381

-2.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$7.86 Q 60.1

31.68%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$3.30 Q 25.23

11.82%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$1.11 Q 8.49

50.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$0.92 Q 7.01

38.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$3.34 Q 25.52

-4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$4.65 Q 35.56

14.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$1.99 Q 15.20

-13.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$3.11 Q 23.75

-2.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$2.05 Q 15.66

-5.37%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$2.41 Q 18.45

19.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$6.23 Q 47.63

76.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$9.68 Q 74.0

-4.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$13.41 Q 102

12.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$3.96 Q 30.23

-22.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.73 Q 13.22

12.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$2.91 Q 22.21

-30.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$1.64 Q 12.52

40.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$1.49 Q 11.41

36.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$2.09 Q 16.01

-13.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$0.70 Q 5.32

111.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$1.19 Q 9.12

6.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$4.16 Q 31.76

27.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$8.23 Q 62.9

95.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$1.75 Q 13.36

13.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$2.59 Q 19.76

64.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$5.32 Q 40.62

-65.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$10.37 Q 79.2

-48.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$1.32 Q 10.10

14.39%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$27.3K Q 208.7K

-20.36%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$25.3K Q 193.1K

-5.10%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$72.4 Q 554

-13.06%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$28.72 Q 219

-4.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$46.00 Q 351

-22.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$6.67 Q 51.0

-4.05%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$333 Q 2,548

29.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$6,742 Q 51.5K

69.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$50.3 Q 384

35.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$47.48 Q 363

11.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$120 Q 916

-10.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$114 Q 874

2.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

11.62

-2.32%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chimaltenango: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Chimaltenango

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Chimaltenango

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Chimaltenango

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Chimaltenango

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Chimaltenango

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Chimaltenango

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Chimaltenango

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $50 in Chimaltenango. Groceries tell a different story – $320 in Mexico City vs $282 in Chimaltenango – so Chimaltenango wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇬🇹 Chimaltenango

🕒 Local time

22:55 10:55 PM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

43,900

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.53 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Chimaltenango 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Chimaltenango

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Chimaltenango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 114% more than Chimaltenango, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $1,125 in Chimaltenango. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $50 in Chimaltenango. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $750 in Chimaltenango to $1,608 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.