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: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $804 in Cimislia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $1,151 in Cimislia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $1,498 in Cimislia.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 94% more expensive than in Cimislia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Cimislia is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$201

$6.59 MDL 117

68.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$886

$22.41 MDL 398

118.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$203

$10.70 MDL 190

4.95%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$67.9

$1.73 MDL 30.64

117.34%

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

$1.65 MX$29.87

$1.11 MDL 19.68

48.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.12

$0.66 MDL 11.78

93.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$58.9

$1.15 MDL 20.35

183.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$102

$2.32 MDL 41.15

143.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$32.71

$1.05 MDL 18.61

72.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$53.2

$0.38 MDL 6.82

673.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.04

$1.60 MDL 28.33

28.12%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$52.9

$2.09 MDL 37.11

40.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$216

$6.85 MDL 122

74.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$172

$3.91 MDL 69.4

143.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$268

$6.30 MDL 112

135.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$56.8

$0.59 MDL 10.40

432.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.42

$2.31 MDL 41.05

-12.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$37.51

$1.45 MDL 25.78

43.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.09

$1.93 MDL 34.21

15.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.23

$0.56 MDL 9.94

267.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$33.93

$0.49 MDL 8.78

283.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$26.76

$0.43 MDL 7.61

244.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.31

$0.58 MDL 10.32

132.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$97.8

$3.48 MDL 61.9

55.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$305

$4.65 MDL 82.5

262.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$35.87

$1.10 MDL 19.53

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$78.2

$2.03 MDL 36.07

112.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.23

$0.29 MDL 5.20

17.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$366

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$37.87

$2.88 MDL 51.1

-27.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.59

$0.24 MDL 4.24

120.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$97.7

$5.62 MDL 99.9

-3.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.48

$1.43 MDL 25.35

6.29%

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

$21.7K MX$392.8K

$34.4K MDL 610.9K

-36.83%

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

$24.8K MX$448.5K

$24.5K MDL 434.8K

1.35%

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

$63.0 MX$1,138

$223 MDL 3,968

-71.82%

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

$28.88 MX$522

$7.76 MDL 138

272.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$613

$11.16 MDL 198

204.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,008

$17.25 MDL 306

223.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$122

$7.78 MDL 138

-12.98%

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

$428 MX$7,732

$113 MDL 2,009

278.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$214.6K

$5,253 MDL 93.3K

125.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,266

$45.68 MDL 811

53.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$971

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,984

$56.0 MDL 994

96.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,083

$51.7 MDL 917

123.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.2K

$224 MDL 3,982

373.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.1K

$170 MDL 3,026

293.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.0K

$338 MDL 5,999

604.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$22.8K

$289 MDL 5,124

336.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$67.2K

$727 MDL 12.9K

410.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$35.7K

$688 MDL 12.2K

187.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.0K

$430 MDL 7,629

132.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

41.25%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cimislia: October 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Mexico City and $224 in Cimislia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 132% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $22.00 in Cimislia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $151 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 94% 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 132% 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: $1,062 in Mexico City versus $224 in Cimislia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 117% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,561 per month in Mexico City versus $804 in Cimislia – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $804 in Cimislia versus $1,561 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 $804 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 94% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.