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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $914 in Colima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,488 in Colima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,062 in Colima.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 61% more expensive than Colima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Colima is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.24 MX$108

111.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$31.19 MX$541

72.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.01 MX$139

17.60%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.14 MX$37.02

65.89%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.81 MX$14.06

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.54 MX$9.41

105.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.70 MX$29.52

83.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.84 MX$49.27

63.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.32 MX$22.95

28.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$2.52 MX$43.66

7.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.32 MX$22.91

44.70%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.29 MX$39.64

10.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$5.91 MX$102

69.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.87 MX$136

2.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$9.72 MX$168

19.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.86 MX$49.48

3.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.35 MX$23.39

34.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.49 MX$25.77

34.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$2.22 MX$38.48

-8.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.76 MX$30.57

20.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$2.32 MX$40.21

-2.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.33 MX$23.05

5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$1.09 MX$18.86

3.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.51 MX$60.9

21.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$6.78 MX$117

129.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.63 MX$28.18

7.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.94 MX$33.58

85.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.65 MX$11.34

-41.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$19.15 MX$332

0.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$2.36 MX$40.98

-41.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$1.53 MX$26.60

-81.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$8.43 MX$146

-35.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.33 MX$23.02

-2.26%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$22.4K MX$388.0K

-16.53%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$21.6K MX$373.6K

7.29%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$62.6 MX$1,084

-34.69%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$19.75 MX$342

35.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$30.68 MX$532

-2.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$34.00 MX$589

53.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$20.99 MX$364

27.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.58 MX$79.5

37.55%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$142 MX$2,453

208.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$2,404 MX$41.7K

333.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$46.41 MX$804

22.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$28.23 MX$489

57.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$84.6 MX$1,467

21.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$99.2 MX$1,719

6.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$509 MX$8,814

100.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$247 MX$4,282

155.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$333 MX$5,769

541.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$536 MX$9,283

132.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$300 MX$5,196

271.89%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Colima: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $509 in Colima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 272% 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 $288 vs $232 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 61% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $914 including rent). Colima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 272% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $509 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 0% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $142 in Colima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $914 in Colima versus $1,467 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 61% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.