Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cholula

For one person, living is cheaper in Cholula: $1,077 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Cholula
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Cholula Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Cholula

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,077

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Cholula actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $1,077 in Cholula, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Cholula $1,077

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $1,703 in Cholula, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Cholula $1,703

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $2,329 in Cholula, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Cholula $2,329

Mexico City costs about 49% more than Cholula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Cholula is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$197

$10.74 MX$199

-1.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$898

$47.05 MX$874

2.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$192

$9.15 MX$170

13.11%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.5

$3.13 MX$58.2

17.89%

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

$1.67 MX$30.95

$1.51 MX$28.02

10.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.50

$1.16 MX$21.47

9.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.3

$2.65 MX$49.26

20.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.6

$4.72 MX$87.6

12.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.03

$1.89 MX$35.13

-8.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.5

$3.06 MX$56.8

-0.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.05

$1.73 MX$32.11

12.14%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.6

$2.65 MX$49.15

9.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$204

$6.22 MX$116

76.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$5.54 MX$103

66.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$281

$10.90 MX$202

38.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.6

$2.56 MX$47.48

19.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.05

$1.74 MX$32.36

11.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.61

$1.90 MX$35.36

6.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$42.99

$1.93 MX$35.93

19.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.79

$1.76 MX$32.61

15.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.43

$1.77 MX$32.91

1.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.47

$1.46 MX$27.17

1.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.54

$1.21 MX$22.39

4.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.5

$4.47 MX$83.0

18.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$299

$13.71 MX$255

17.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.83

$1.38 MX$25.65

43.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.0

$2.58 MX$47.94

64.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.67

$0.48 MX$8.90

-35.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$367

$18.92 MX$351

4.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.13

$3.29 MX$61.1

-44.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.91

$2.53 MX$46.97

-79.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.3

$15.77 MX$293

-66.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.05

$1.41 MX$26.14

7.09%

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

$21.8K MX$404.0K

$24.6K MX$457.5K

-11.70%

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

$24.0K MX$445.4K

$22.9K MX$425.6K

4.65%

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

$63.0 MX$1,170

$58.1 MX$1,079

8.40%

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

$27.39 MX$509

$18.53 MX$344

47.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$662

$23.47 MX$436

51.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,095

$71.3 MX$1,324

-17.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$439

$19.93 MX$370

18.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$5.45 MX$101

17.43%

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

$432 MX$8,015

$257 MX$4,777

67.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.1K

$4,548 MX$84.5K

151.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,267

$51.3 MX$953

32.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$987

$43.70 MX$812

21.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,002

$102 MX$1,894

5.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,178

$95.9 MX$1,782

22.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.7K

$431 MX$8,007

158.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$286 MX$5,314

148.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.1K

$582 MX$10.8K

344.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.1K

$472 MX$8,769

197.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.4K

$1,927 MX$35.8K

88.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.6K

$1,145 MX$21.3K

86.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$792 MX$14.7K

19.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

10.96

3.56%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cholula: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Cholula

$286 26.6% 59.7% $424

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Cholula

$255 23.7% 20.1% $64

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Cholula

$184 17.1% 7.2% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Cholula

$132 12.2% 15.4% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Cholula

$100 9.3% 20.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Cholula

$82 7.6% 14.6% $10

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Cholula

$37 3.4% 44.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $431 in Cholula. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 19% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $47 in Cholula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $255 – making Cholula the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇽 Cholula

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

908

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Mexico City Cholula 96 km

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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 Cholula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 49% more than Cholula, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,615 in Cholula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cholula, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $431 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,077 in Cholula. That makes Cholula about 33% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $432 per month in Mexico City and $257 in Cholula. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,077 in Cholula. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cholula costs $1,077 versus $1,608 in Mexico City. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Cholula. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.