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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $778 in Crato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,248 in Crato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,719 in Crato.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 91% more expensive than Crato, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Crato is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$5.27 R$26.28

146.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$26.70 R$133

98.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$6.46 R$32.23

50.46%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.74 R$8.66

115.52%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.08 R$5.37

45.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.62 R$3.08

82.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.78 R$8.90

78.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.77 R$13.85

68.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$0.99 R$4.94

63.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.51 R$7.53

79.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.14 R$5.70

64.91%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.93 R$9.65

30.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.43 R$42.09

19.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.55 R$17.69

133.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$7.12 R$35.54

67.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.05 R$10.24

39.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.26 R$6.30

38.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.20 R$5.97

73.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.46 R$7.26

34.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.15 R$5.74

87.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.06 R$5.31

105.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.69 R$3.45

101.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.66 R$3.30

69.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.16 R$10.79

94.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$6.96 R$34.72

104.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.22 R$6.06

44.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.08 R$10.39

76.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.86 R$4.27

-54.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$38.50 R$192

-51.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.05 R$5.26

32.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.71 R$3.57

-57.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$6.51 R$32.47

-16.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.08 R$5.40

25.00%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$21.0K R$104.8K

-10.10%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$27.3K R$136.0K

-15.07%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$59.9 R$299

-31.83%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$13.71 R$68.4

100.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$19.01 R$94.9

59.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$22.91 R$114

133.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$21.47 R$107

22.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$6.46 R$32.25

-2.94%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$267 R$1,335

63.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$6,453 R$32.2K

62.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$48.07 R$240

18.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$41.93 R$209

6.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$76.2 R$380

34.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$64.4 R$321

67.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$317 R$1,580

215.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$220 R$1,099

181.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$576 R$2,875

270.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$422 R$2,105

192.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,458 R$7,274

165.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,188 R$5,930

96.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Crato: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $317 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 $286 vs $172 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 91% 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 $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,167 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $317 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 106% 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 $267 in Crato. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $778 in Crato versus $1,484 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 $778 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 91% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.