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: $1,682 in Mexico City versus $829 in Cimislia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,599 in Mexico City versus $1,181 in Cimislia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,516 in Mexico City versus $1,533 in Cimislia.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 103% more expensive than in Cimislia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 23% above, Cimislia is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 MX$200

$7.00 MDL 119

69.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$884

$22.93 MDL 389

127.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 MX$184

$10.74 MDL 182

1.21%

Cappuccino

$4.03 MX$68.2

$1.72 MDL 29.13

134.30%

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

$1.71 MX$28.99

$1.11 MDL 18.77

54.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.70

$0.71 MDL 12.08

88.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$1.18 MDL 19.97

187.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 MX$97.3

$2.35 MDL 39.87

144.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$31.99

$1.07 MDL 18.22

76.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.43 MDL 7.25

637.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.74

$1.66 MDL 28.21

23.49%

Eggs

$3.01 MX$51.1

$2.14 MDL 36.26

40.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 MX$214

$6.97 MDL 118

80.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 MX$169

$4.13 MDL 70.1

140.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 MX$271

$6.55 MDL 111

144.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 MX$55.6

$0.56 MDL 9.48

485.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.87

$2.32 MDL 39.34

-11.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.36

$1.44 MDL 24.41

45.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 MX$42.44

$2.03 MDL 34.43

23.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.76

$0.59 MDL 10.02

247.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.70

$0.51 MDL 8.61

266.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$26.66

$0.46 MDL 7.80

241.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.64

$0.55 MDL 9.38

152.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 MX$91.2

$3.36 MDL 57.1

60.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 MX$304

$4.54 MDL 77.1

295.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$34.31

$1.14 MDL 19.29

77.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 MX$80.7

$2.00 MDL 33.99

138.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MX$6.13

$0.28 MDL 4.69

28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.80 MX$353

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$34.92

$2.87 MDL 48.76

-28.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.55

$0.25 MDL 4.22

124.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 MX$98.6

$5.85 MDL 99.3

-0.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.05

$1.42 MDL 24.07

8.45%

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

$22.5K MX$380.6K

$35.5K MDL 603.5K

-36.81%

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

$26.5K MX$448.7K

$24.9K MDL 423.1K

6.26%

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

$66.0 MX$1,118

$237 MDL 4,018

-72.12%

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

$30.98 MX$525

$8.29 MDL 141

273.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.20 MX$613

$11.77 MDL 200

207.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 MX$975

$17.16 MDL 291

235.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.75 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$7.13 MX$121

$7.63 MDL 130

-6.55%

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

$457 MX$7,738

$115 MDL 1,960

295.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MX$224.5K

$5,438 MDL 92.3K

143.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 MX$1,285

$46.85 MDL 795

61.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 MX$917

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MX$1,974

$57.7 MDL 979

101.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,063

$51.8 MDL 879

135.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 MX$19.4K

$228 MDL 3,864

404.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 MX$12.3K

$174 MDL 2,963

315.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 MX$42.4K

$349 MDL 5,931

616.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 MX$22.6K

$287 MDL 4,880

363.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,895 MX$66.0K

$744 MDL 12.6K

423.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 MX$36.4K

$705 MDL 12.0K

204.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$435 MDL 7,384

145.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

41.87%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Last update for Cimislia: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,147 in Mexico City and $228 in Cimislia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 146% 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 $344 vs $154 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 103% 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 146% 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: $1,147 in Mexico City versus $228 in Cimislia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 124% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,682 per month in Mexico City versus $829 in Cimislia – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $829 in Cimislia versus $1,682 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 $829 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 103% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.