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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,069 in Ciudad Obregon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,654 in Ciudad Obregon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,240 in Ciudad Obregon.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 38% more expensive than in Ciudad Obregon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Ciudad Obregon is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$10.77 MX$186

22.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$34.30 MX$593

56.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$6.96 MX$120

34.05%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.22 MX$38.33

66.67%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.68 MX$11.81

135.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.54 MX$9.37

107.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.34 MX$23.13

134.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$1.89 MX$32.78

156.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.64 MX$28.41

0.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$2.04 MX$35.35

32.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.48 MX$25.66

29.05%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.26 MX$39.02

14.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$4.84 MX$83.8

102.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$5.44 MX$94.1

54.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$9.22 MX$160

29.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.81 MX$31.33

62.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.83 MX$31.66

-4.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.74 MX$30.17

17.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.58 MX$27.33

30.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.77 MX$30.65

21.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.74 MX$30.09

29.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.03 MX$17.82

34.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.43 MX$24.77

-21.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$4.06 MX$70.2

3.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$10.55 MX$183

65.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.97 MX$34.06

-13.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.72 MX$47.11

33.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.65 MX$11.18

-46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.56 MX$26.91

-11.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$1.54 MX$26.72

-81.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$8.36 MX$145

-36.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.33 MX$22.92

2.26%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$16.6K MX$287.1K

15.10%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$22.9K MX$395.4K

3.31%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$100 MX$1,734

-59.57%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$21.79 MX$377

25.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$26.39 MX$457

15.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$35.79 MX$619

45.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$15.89 MX$275

66.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$3.51 MX$60.8

76.35%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$288 MX$4,989

47.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$4,756 MX$82.3K

125.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$42.96 MX$743

35.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$31.98 MX$553

39.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$62.9 MX$1,089

64.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$63.8 MX$1,104

70.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$519 MX$8,976

95.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$398 MX$6,887

56.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$915 MX$15.8K

131.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$755 MX$13.1K

62.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$1,864 MX$32.3K

103.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

72.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$1,246 MX$21.6K

-15.58%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Obregon: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $519 in Ciudad Obregon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ciudad Obregon pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Ciudad Obregon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $223 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 38% 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, salaries run 18% lower in Ciudad Obregon. 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $519 in Ciudad Obregon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $288 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 $34.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,069 in Ciudad Obregon versus $1,472 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 $1,069 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 38% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.