Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cimislia Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cimislia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $846 in Cimislia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $1,264 in Cimislia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $1,683 in Cimislia.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 71% more expensive than in Cimislia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Cimislia is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$225

$6.91 MDL 119

87.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$908

$23.31 MDL 403

124.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$168

$7.73 MDL 134

25.36%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.1

$1.76 MDL 30.42

113.07%

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

$1.56 MX$27.14

$0.97 MDL 16.74

60.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.10

$0.70 MDL 12.03

65.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$56.3

$1.15 MDL 19.88

181.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$85.0

$2.40 MDL 41.55

104.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.54

$1.07 MDL 18.46

58.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$46.30

$0.40 MDL 6.88

567.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.77

$1.51 MDL 26.09

25.17%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.74

$2.08 MDL 35.93

21.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$174

$8.80 MDL 152

13.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$148

$4.04 MDL 69.8

111.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$207

$9.01 MDL 156

32.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.6

$0.57 MDL 9.82

421.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.14

$1.74 MDL 30.06

2.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.69

$1.47 MDL 25.41

36.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.03

$2.04 MDL 35.21

-3.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.53

$0.60 MDL 10.35

260.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.38

$0.59 MDL 10.25

284.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.34

$1.29 MDL 22.30

8.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.34

$0.89 MDL 15.40

24.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.9

$3.17 MDL 54.7

32.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$287

$4.50 MDL 77.7

267.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.19

$1.18 MDL 20.47

42.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$62.3

$1.89 MDL 32.70

89.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

$0.30 MDL 5.19

30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$333

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.98

$1.99 MDL 34.44

-30.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.24

$0.27 MDL 4.69

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$93.5

$5.41 MDL 93.6

-0.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.32

$1.39 MDL 23.99

-7.19%

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

$18.9K MX$327.9K

$32.2K MDL 555.7K

-41.24%

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

$23.8K MX$413.0K

$30.7K MDL 530.3K

-22.46%

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

$39.86 MX$692

$173 MDL 2,998

-77.02%

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

$27.83 MX$483

$7.71 MDL 133

260.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$517

$10.98 MDL 190

171.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$902

$17.41 MDL 301

198.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$455

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

$7.56 MDL 131

-17.06%

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

$433 MX$7,508

$395 MDL 6,832

9.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.9K

$7,495 MDL 129.5K

40.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$989

$66.9 MDL 1,155

-14.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$787

$52.9 MDL 915

-14.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,768

$114 MDL 1,978

-10.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,883

$123 MDL 2,128

-11.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.2K

$235 MDL 4,057

323.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.7K

$173 MDL 2,989

256.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$36.2K

$346 MDL 5,978

503.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.8K

$286 MDL 4,941

339.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$68.3K

$749 MDL 12.9K

425.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$36.2K

$687 MDL 11.9K

204.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.6K

$425 MDL 7,345

166.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.24

22.73%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Last update for Cimislia: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $235 in Cimislia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 166% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $23.00 in Cimislia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $170 per month, with Cimislia 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 Cimislia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cimislia wins on cost – living expenses run 71% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cimislia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 166% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $994 in Mexico City versus $235 in Cimislia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,448 per month in Mexico City versus $846 in Cimislia – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $846 in Cimislia versus $1,448 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cimislia but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cimislia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cimislia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $846 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cimislia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Cimislia are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cimislia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.