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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $854 in Cimislia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,247 in Cimislia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,639 in Cimislia.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 74% more expensive than Cimislia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Cimislia is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$6.90 MDL 119

88.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$23.54 MDL 406

125.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$7.57 MDL 131

28.40%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.80 MDL 31.08

108.33%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.91 MDL 15.67

72.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.70 MDL 12.02

61.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.16 MDL 19.93

174.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.35 MDL 40.54

98.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.04 MDL 17.92

55.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.42 MDL 7.31

545.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.45 MDL 24.94

29.66%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.08 MDL 35.94

20.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.90 MDL 153

13.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.98 MDL 68.7

108.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$8.97 MDL 155

33.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$0.56 MDL 9.60

410.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.77 MDL 30.48

-1.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.49 MDL 25.78

39.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$2.06 MDL 35.55

-4.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.61 MDL 10.44

254.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$0.58 MDL 10.08

275.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.32 MDL 22.72

5.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.85 MDL 14.60

31.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$3.24 MDL 56.0

29.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$4.64 MDL 80.0

207.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.19 MDL 20.48

47.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.93 MDL 33.25

90.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.30 MDL 5.18

30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.99 MDL 34.39

-30.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.27 MDL 4.70

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$5.39 MDL 92.9

0.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.38 MDL 23.76

-2.17%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$32.6K MDL 562.8K

-42.12%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$30.8K MDL 531.7K

-24.89%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$173 MDL 2,984

-76.40%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$7.62 MDL 131

260.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$10.91 MDL 188

178.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$17.29 MDL 298

209.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$7.59 MDL 131

-17.39%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$394 MDL 6,793

10.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$7,539 MDL 130.0K

38.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$65.7 MDL 1,133

-13.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$52.8 MDL 910

-15.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$114 MDL 1,961

-9.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$123 MDL 2,129

-12.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$234 MDL 4,029

328.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$173 MDL 2,990

257.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$349 MDL 6,014

512.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$286 MDL 4,940

331.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$767 MDL 13.2K

403.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$710 MDL 12.2K

228.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$440 MDL 7,591

142.52%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cimislia: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $234 in Cimislia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 143% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $24.00 in Cimislia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $169 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 74% 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.

Mexico City pays 143% more on average, 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $234 in Cimislia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,484 per month in Mexico City versus $854 in Cimislia – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $854 in Cimislia versus $1,484 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 $854 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 74% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.