Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ciudad Juarez Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ciudad Juarez

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,467 per month in Mexico City vs $963 in Ciudad Juarez, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,371 per month in Mexico City vs $1,665 in Ciudad Juarez, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,274 per month in Mexico City vs $2,366 in Ciudad Juarez, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 52% more than Ciudad Juarez, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 10% above the global median, while Ciudad Juarez is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$7.98 MX$138

65.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$31.30 MX$541

72.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$10.22 MX$177

-7.83%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$3.28 MX$56.7

8.23%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.15 MX$19.84

40.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.81 MX$13.92

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.15 MX$37.17

45.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.96 MX$68.4

16.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.56 MX$27.04

8.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$2.34 MX$40.48

16.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.85 MX$31.94

3.24%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.46 MX$42.55

3.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$11.09 MX$192

-9.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$8.67 MX$150

-6.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.92 MX$154

30.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.93 MX$33.38

53.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.21 MX$20.89

49.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.67 MX$28.86

20.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.38 MX$41.22

-14.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.55 MX$26.89

36.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$2.42 MX$41.87

-6.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$2.10 MX$36.33

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.88 MX$15.23

28.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.20 MX$72.6

1.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$11.64 MX$201

33.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.17 MX$20.31

50.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$3.54 MX$61.2

1.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.61 MX$10.55

-37.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$39.24 MX$679

-51.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$2.69 MX$46.47

-48.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.02 MX$17.62

-72.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$15.56 MX$269

-64.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.21 MX$20.93

7.44%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$23.4K MX$404.7K

-20.13%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$21.4K MX$369.3K

8.33%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$67.4 MX$1,165

-39.36%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$23.94 MX$414

11.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$31.37 MX$543

-4.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$30.13 MX$521

72.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$10.60 MX$183

153.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.56 MX$78.8

38.16%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$210 MX$3,629

107.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$2,689 MX$46.5K

287.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$42.13 MX$729

34.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$21.23 MX$367

109.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$79.7 MX$1,379

29.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$69.2 MX$1,197

52.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$389 MX$6,722

163.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$247 MX$4,269

155.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$875 MX$15.1K

144.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$739 MX$12.8K

68.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,009 MX$17.5K

286.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$730 MX$12.6K

182.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$615 MX$10.6K

81.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.25

0.80%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Juarez: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,022 in Mexico City versus $389 in Ciudad Juarez. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 81% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City versus $31.00 in Ciudad Juarez. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $260 – making Ciudad Juarez the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Ciudad Juarez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City, $963 in Ciudad Juarez – roughly 52% apart. Mexico City costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,201 per month in Mexico City and $1,444 in Ciudad Juarez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ciudad Juarez, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City and $31.00 in Ciudad Juarez. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,467 in Mexico City and $963 in Ciudad Juarez. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ciudad Juarez, where all-in costs run around $963, than in Mexico City at $1,467. In Ciudad Juarez it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $963 in Ciudad Juarez to $1,467 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Ciudad Juarez. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.