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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $839 in Crato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,334 in Crato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,829 in Crato.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 98% more expensive than in Crato, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Crato is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$5.56 R$28.59

114.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$33.78 R$174

52.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$6.44 R$33.11

77.17%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$2.06 R$10.61

93.69%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$1.14 R$5.87

45.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$0.73 R$3.78

82.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$1.99 R$10.24

74.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.11 R$15.99

89.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.09 R$5.60

72.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$1.59 R$8.16

104.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.18 R$6.05

83.05%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$2.27 R$11.69

27.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$10.64 R$54.7

20.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.18 R$21.52

140.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$9.14 R$46.99

73.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$2.37 R$12.20

38.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.18 R$6.06

70.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.07 R$5.49

105.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$1.60 R$8.25

47.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$1.17 R$6.03

75.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$1.17 R$6.03

62.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$0.84 R$4.30

91.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.78 R$4.00

79.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$2.32 R$11.95

135.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$8.54 R$43.91

106.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$1.19 R$6.11

73.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$1.79 R$9.19

161.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$0.99 R$5.08

-65.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$40.41 R$208

-48.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$1.08 R$5.53

94.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$0.76 R$3.89

-26.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$7.49 R$38.49

-22.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.32 R$6.79

21.97%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$23.1K R$118.8K

-1.17%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$36.8K R$189.4K

-27.39%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$73.7 R$379

-11.57%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$10.57 R$54.3

184.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$20.18 R$104

84.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$24.53 R$126

143.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$25.69 R$132

3.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$7.51 R$38.62

-6.26%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$307 R$1,577

51.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$7,377 R$37.9K

79.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$47.17 R$243

60.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$49.67 R$255

12.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$94.9 R$488

17.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$68.4 R$352

76.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$336 R$1,727

228.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$232 R$1,195

210.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$715 R$3,676

253.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$444 R$2,283

191.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$1,734 R$8,914

130.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,082 R$5,563

93.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.06

2.17%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Crato: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $336 in Crato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Crato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $197 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 98% 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 $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,259 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $336 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 94% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $307 in Crato. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $839 in Crato versus $1,660 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 $839 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 98% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.