Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Chone

For one person, living is cheaper in Chone: $732 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,567
/mo nomad
Chone
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$732
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $732 in Chone.

  • Mexico City $1,567
  • Chone $732

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $1,240 in Chone.

  • Mexico City $2,450
  • Chone $1,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $1,748 in Chone.

  • Mexico City $3,333
  • Chone $1,748

Living in Mexico City is roughly 114% more expensive than in Chone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Chone is 46% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Chone
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.75 MX$199
$3.77 $3.77
185.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.3 MX$929
$31.29 $31.29
60.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.10 MX$205
$5.91 $5.91
87.82%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$2.48 $2.48
48.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 MX$30.42
$0.86 $0.86
91.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.08
$0.69 $0.69
88.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.32 MX$61.3
$2.07 $2.07
60.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 MX$102
$4.08 $4.08
35.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Chone
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.77 MX$32.68
$1.12 $1.12
58.04%
White Bread (500g)
$3.05 MX$56.4
$1.52 $1.52
100.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.20
$1.57 $1.57
28.03%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$51.1
$2.00 $2.00
38.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.91 MX$220
$6.64 $6.64
79.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 MX$172
$4.55 $4.55
105.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.02 MX$278
$6.32 $6.32
137.66%
Apples (1kg)
$3.08 MX$56.8
$1.55 $1.55
98.71%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.97
$0.97 $0.97
101.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.54
$1.04 $1.04
95.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.21 MX$40.92
$1.03 $1.03
114.56%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.41
$1.13 $1.13
78.76%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.67
$1.03 $1.03
76.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$0.71 $0.71
114.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.65
$1.08 $1.08
18.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.27 MX$97.4
$5.01 $5.01
5.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.12 MX$298
$8.56 $8.56
88.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 MX$36.05
$1.63 $1.63
19.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$78.6
$2.76 $2.76
53.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Chone
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.82
$0.31 $0.31
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.85 MX$367
$17.28 $17.28
14.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.93
$1.32 $1.32
51.52%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.86
$1.23 $1.23
-56.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.62 MX$104
$8.58 $8.58
-34.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$0.86 $0.86
76.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$388.7K
$21.7K $21.7K
-2.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K MX$465.3K
$33.0K $33.0K
-23.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Chone
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.5 MX$1,155
$41.43 $41.43
50.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.77 MX$532
$13.59 $13.59
111.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.45 MX$637
$25.32 $25.32
36.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Chone
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,055
$33.32 $33.32
71.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.81 MX$458
$15.43 $15.43
60.79%
Cinema Ticket
$6.67 MX$123
$6.33 $6.33
5.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Chone
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$431 MX$7,964
$207 $207
108.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.7K MX$216.9K
$5,025 $5,025
133.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Chone
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.8 MX$1,308
$55.5 $55.5
27.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.8 MX$958
$47.21 $47.21
9.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 MX$2,011
$109 $109
-0.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 MX$2,076
$79.7 $79.7
40.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Chone
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,051 MX$19.4K
$319 $319
229.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 MX$12.3K
$169 $169
294.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,346 MX$43.3K
$788 $788
197.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,227 MX$22.7K
$451 $451
172.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,554 MX$65.7K
$1,272 $1,272
179.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,977 MX$36.5K
$807 $807
145.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Chone
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$975 MX$18.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
10.05
12.44%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chone: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$665
Chone
$169 74.6% $496
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$323
Chone
$177 45.1% $146
Eating Out
Mexico City
$203
Chone
$102 49.6% $101
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$155
Chone
$131 15.2% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Chone
$80 36.1% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Chone
$46 34.7% $24
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Chone
$26 0.8% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Mexico City and $319 in Chone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $31.00 in Chone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $177 per month, with Chone cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇪🇨 Chone
🕒 Local time
13:24 1:24 PM
14:24 2:24 PM
1 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
44,751
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Chone 3,050 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Chone

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 Chone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mexico City or Chone?
Chone wins on cost – living expenses run 114% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Mexico City and in Chone?
You'd need roughly $2,351 in Mexico City and $1,097 in Chone 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Mexico City compared to Chone?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $319 in Chone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Mexico City compared to Chone?
All in, you'll spend $1,567 per month in Mexico City versus $732 in Chone – a 114% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Mexico City compared to Chone?
A monthly transit pass in Chone runs roughly 15% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Mexico City or in Chone?
At $732 in Chone versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chone but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Chone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Mexico City or Chone?
Both work as nomad bases, but Chone delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $732 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chone hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Chone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 114% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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