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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,176 in Cozumel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,790 in Cozumel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,403 in Cozumel.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 24% more expensive than in Cozumel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Cozumel is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$8.56 MX$150

52.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$42.08 MX$738

27.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$7.73 MX$136

25.23%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$3.01 MX$52.9

24.25%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$1.16 MX$20.26

39.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$1.11 MX$19.40

4.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$1.89 MX$33.17

70.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$3.59 MX$63.0

32.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.37 MX$23.95

20.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$1.62 MX$28.34

69.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.55 MX$27.21

20.65%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$1.98 MX$34.68

26.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$10.47 MX$184

-2.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$7.09 MX$124

16.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$11.33 MX$199

4.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$2.43 MX$42.60

23.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.40 MX$24.60

29.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$2.07 MX$36.23

-3.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$1.44 MX$25.33

38.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$2.06 MX$36.12

0.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$1.88 MX$33.01

20.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$1.03 MX$18.07

41.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$0.93 MX$16.27

16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$4.08 MX$71.6

6.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$11.35 MX$199

49.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.38 MX$24.20

25.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$2.78 MX$48.77

28.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.60 MX$10.58

-35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$2.40 MX$42.02

-44.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$2.37 MX$41.53

-88.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$6.56 MX$115

-19.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.30 MX$22.85

3.08%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$15.9K MX$279.2K

21.96%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$21.8K MX$382.8K

9.19%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$50.6 MX$888

-19.60%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$21.83 MX$383

23.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$21.93 MX$385

39.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$37.51 MX$658

40.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$15.99 MX$281

66.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$4.54 MX$79.7

43.39%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$210 MX$3,688

103.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$3,433 MX$60.2K

205.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$57.0 MX$1,000

0.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$48.02 MX$842

-5.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$89.4 MX$1,568

16.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$83.6 MX$1,467

28.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$708 MX$12.4K

41.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$496 MX$8,696

25.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$1,549 MX$27.2K

36.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$765 MX$13.4K

59.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$1,860 MX$32.6K

108.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$1,251 MX$21.9K

62.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$696 MX$12.2K

49.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.68

-2.91%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Cozumel: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $708 in Cozumel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 49% 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 $42.00 in Cozumel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $241 per month, with Cozumel 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 Cozumel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Cozumel differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,176 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 49% 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 $708 in Cozumel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,456 per month in Mexico City versus $1,176 in Cozumel – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,176 in Cozumel versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cozumel but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cozumel 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 Cozumel 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 Cozumel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.