Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Colima Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Colima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $912 in Colima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,467 in Colima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,022 in Colima.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 60% more expensive than in Colima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Colima is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$6.38 MX$112

104.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$31.42 MX$551

71.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$7.83 MX$137

23.63%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$2.09 MX$36.65

78.95%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$0.77 MX$13.55

110.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.51 MX$8.93

127.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$1.75 MX$30.63

84.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$2.72 MX$47.69

74.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.34 MX$23.47

23.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$2.60 MX$45.58

5.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.38 MX$24.18

35.51%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$2.25 MX$39.40

11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$5.93 MX$104

72.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$7.72 MX$135

6.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$9.59 MX$168

23.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$2.75 MX$48.24

9.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.29 MX$22.62

40.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$1.51 MX$26.56

32.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$2.18 MX$38.32

-8.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$1.79 MX$31.31

16.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$2.31 MX$40.50

-1.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$1.33 MX$23.39

9.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$1.08 MX$19.01

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$3.61 MX$63.3

20.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$6.73 MX$118

152.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.56 MX$27.45

10.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$1.88 MX$32.89

90.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.60 MX$10.55

-35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$19.07 MX$335

-1.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$2.32 MX$40.74

-42.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$1.53 MX$26.88

-81.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$8.51 MX$149

-38.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.28 MX$22.53

4.69%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$21.9K MX$383.6K

-11.25%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$21.3K MX$373.2K

12.01%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$62.5 MX$1,096

-34.91%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$19.09 MX$335

40.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$30.93 MX$543

-1.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$34.04 MX$597

55.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$20.89 MX$366

27.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$4.48 MX$78.5

45.31%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$141 MX$2,468

204.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$2,406 MX$42.2K

336.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$46.85 MX$822

22.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$27.87 MX$489

63.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$86.9 MX$1,525

19.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$98.1 MX$1,720

9.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$511 MX$8,957

96.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$255 MX$4,473

144.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$326 MX$5,717

547.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$551 MX$9,656

121.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$298 MX$5,234

247.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.07

2.44%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Colima: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $511 in Colima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 248% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $31.00 in Colima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $231 per month, with Colima 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 Colima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Colima differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $912 including rent). Colima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 248% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $511 in Colima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Colima runs roughly 2% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $141 in Colima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $912 in Colima versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Colima but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Colima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Colima 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 Colima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.