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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $781 in Crato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,240 in Crato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,699 in Crato.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 88% more expensive than in Crato, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Crato is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$5.53 R$28.07

137.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$27.17 R$138

97.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$6.20 R$31.46

50.48%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.77 R$8.98

109.04%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.07 R$5.45

49.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.67 R$3.39

67.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.82 R$9.21

72.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.73 R$13.85

77.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.00 R$5.10

65.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.52 R$7.70

78.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.13 R$5.75

69.03%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.97 R$9.98

31.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$8.35 R$42.37

17.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$3.72 R$18.85

126.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$7.15 R$36.26

66.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.04 R$10.37

44.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.30 R$6.60

33.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.20 R$6.10

70.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.51 R$7.64

36.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.20 R$6.07

79.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.11 R$5.64

103.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.69 R$3.50

101.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.62 R$3.13

80.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$2.14 R$10.87

97.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$8.43 R$42.77

107.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.22 R$6.17

40.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.00 R$10.13

81.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.87 R$4.39

-59.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$39.15 R$199

-50.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.09 R$5.54

26.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.74 R$3.76

-62.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$6.25 R$31.73

-15.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.07 R$5.44

27.10%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$20.4K R$103.6K

-6.40%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$28.1K R$142.4K

-15.90%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$59.5 R$302

-31.89%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$13.56 R$68.8

101.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$18.82 R$95.5

61.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$22.35 R$113

133.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$21.43 R$109

23.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.43 R$32.63

-3.73%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$274 R$1,389

55.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$6,561 R$33.3K

63.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$48.96 R$248

19.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$42.04 R$213

6.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$76.5 R$388

35.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$65.7 R$333

65.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$310 R$1,575

226.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$213 R$1,082

192.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$588 R$2,983

260.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$425 R$2,156

187.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$1,686 R$8,558

124.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,224 R$6,213

72.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Crato: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $310 in Crato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Crato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $176 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 88% 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 $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,172 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $310 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 103% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $274 in Crato. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $781 in Crato versus $1,472 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 $781 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 88% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.