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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $763 in Crato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,230 in Crato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,697 in Crato.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 90% more expensive than Crato, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Crato is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$5.42 R$27.42

139.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$27.36 R$139

92.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$6.28 R$31.82

50.16%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$1.73 R$8.75

106.36%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.11 R$5.64

45.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.61 R$3.08

88.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.77 R$8.96

77.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.75 R$13.90

76.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$0.98 R$4.97

73.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.45 R$7.34

82.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.18 R$5.98

61.02%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.00 R$10.14

27.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$8.01 R$40.56

25.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$3.60 R$18.22

130.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$7.11 R$35.97

62.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$2.15 R$10.89

40.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.31 R$6.65

30.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.20 R$6.09

70.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.44 R$7.28

43.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.15 R$5.82

79.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.11 R$5.61

95.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.73 R$3.70

91.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.65 R$3.30

72.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$2.12 R$10.71

102.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$8.32 R$42.14

85.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.28 R$6.46

30.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.04 R$10.35

80.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.87 R$4.43

-56.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$38.14 R$193

-50.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.06 R$5.36

30.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.74 R$3.75

-62.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$6.50 R$32.89

-16.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.07 R$5.43

19.63%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$21.0K R$106.1K

-9.46%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$27.8K R$140.7K

-15.59%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$60.0 R$304

-31.68%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$13.52 R$68.4

99.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$18.93 R$95.8

56.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$22.56 R$114

131.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$21.36 R$108

22.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$6.42 R$32.52

-3.74%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$265 R$1,343

61.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$6,537 R$33.1K

63.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$48.91 R$248

16.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$41.59 R$211

7.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$75.7 R$383

38.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$64.5 R$327

64.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$321 R$1,627

209.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$215 R$1,087

189.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$576 R$2,916

269.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$429 R$2,172

192.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$1,616 R$8,180

141.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,276 R$6,461

64.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.92

3.85%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Crato: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $321 in Crato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Crato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $175 per month, with Crato 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 Crato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Crato wins on cost – living expenses run 90% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Crato the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,144 in Crato to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Mexico City versus $321 in Crato. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Crato runs roughly 100% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $265 in Crato. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $763 in Crato versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Crato but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Crato the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Crato delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $763 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Crato hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Crato gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.