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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,058 in Ciudad Obregon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,660 in Ciudad Obregon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,263 in Ciudad Obregon.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 37% more expensive than Ciudad Obregon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Ciudad Obregon is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$10.53 MX$181

23.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$34.88 MX$599

50.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$6.81 MX$117

38.47%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.24 MX$38.44

59.37%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.74 MX$12.63

117.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.53 MX$9.15

116.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.33 MX$22.83

136.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$1.84 MX$31.56

164.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.64 MX$28.23

3.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$2.05 MX$35.18

28.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.43 MX$24.47

32.87%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.21 MX$38.00

14.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$4.95 MX$85.0

103.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$5.18 MX$89.0

60.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$9.31 MX$160

24.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.71 MX$29.43

77.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.76 MX$30.27

-2.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.67 MX$28.74

22.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.57 MX$26.93

31.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.74 MX$29.93

18.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.74 MX$29.84

24.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.03 MX$17.71

35.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$1.42 MX$24.45

-21.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.90 MX$66.9

10.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$10.51 MX$180

46.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.94 MX$33.30

-13.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.69 MX$46.12

37.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.66 MX$11.24

-42.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.56 MX$26.77

-11.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$1.60 MX$27.42

-82.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$8.16 MX$140

-33.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.26 MX$21.58

1.59%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$16.9K MX$290.9K

11.98%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$23.2K MX$397.8K

1.23%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$102 MX$1,746

-59.67%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$22.52 MX$387

19.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$26.64 MX$457

11.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$36.31 MX$623

44.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$15.71 MX$270

66.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$3.59 MX$61.6

72.14%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$285 MX$4,898

49.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$4,709 MX$80.8K

127.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$42.12 MX$723

34.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$31.32 MX$538

43.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$64.2 MX$1,102

62.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$63.5 MX$1,091

66.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$512 MX$8,781

94.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$393 MX$6,741

58.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$947 MX$16.3K

124.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$772 MX$13.3K

62.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$1,980 MX$34.0K

97.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,233 MX$21.2K

70.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$1,224 MX$21.0K

-9.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.5

-1.39%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Obregon: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $512 in Ciudad Obregon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ciudad Obregon pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $35.00 in Ciudad Obregon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $220 per month, with Ciudad Obregon 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 Ciudad Obregon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ciudad Obregon wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ciudad Obregon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Ciudad Obregon earns 11% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Mexico City versus $512 in Ciudad Obregon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $285 in Ciudad Obregon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ciudad Obregon – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,058 in Ciudad Obregon versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad Obregon but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad Obregon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ciudad Obregon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,058 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ciudad Obregon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Ciudad Obregon 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 Ciudad Obregon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.