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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $1,086 in Cuajimalpa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $1,742 in Cuajimalpa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $2,398 in Cuajimalpa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 36% more expensive than in Cuajimalpa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Cuajimalpa is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$229

$10.48 MX$182

25.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$932

$38.95 MX$678

37.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$166

$7.81 MX$136

22.28%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$64.8

$3.20 MX$55.7

16.25%

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

$1.57 MX$27.28

$1.27 MX$22.16

23.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.12

$0.92 MX$15.92

26.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.4

$2.35 MX$40.92

35.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.6

$3.92 MX$68.2

18.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.50 MX$26.13

14.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.54

$2.55 MX$44.43

2.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.87

$1.58 MX$27.47

19.62%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.17

$2.37 MX$41.17

9.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$172

$8.07 MX$140

22.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$143

$7.85 MX$137

4.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$205

$10.38 MX$181

13.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.1

$2.65 MX$46.13

13.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.32

$1.45 MX$25.22

24.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.08

$1.76 MX$30.70

17.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.23

$1.61 MX$27.94

22.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.05

$1.93 MX$33.62

7.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$2.01 MX$34.92

7.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.41

$1.26 MX$21.90

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.98 MX$17.08

9.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$71.7

$4.20 MX$73.2

-1.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$303

$10.79 MX$188

61.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.16

$1.60 MX$27.82

5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.5

$2.85 MX$49.60

28.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.66 MX$11.42

-42.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$326

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.13

$2.62 MX$45.57

-49.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.27

$1.54 MX$26.76

-80.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$95.9

$8.44 MX$147

-34.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$1.32 MX$22.97

-0.76%

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

$19.2K MX$333.5K

$21.4K MX$371.6K

-10.25%

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

$23.7K MX$413.3K

$22.3K MX$388.8K

6.29%

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

$41.14 MX$716

$57.0 MX$992

-27.82%

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

$27.74 MX$483

$21.90 MX$381

26.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$524

$27.71 MX$482

8.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$935

$36.41 MX$634

47.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$452

$15.91 MX$277

63.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$113

$4.56 MX$79.3

42.32%

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

$437 MX$7,598

$210 MX$3,654

107.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.0K

$3,556 MX$61.9K

194.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,015

$53.7 MX$934

8.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$798

$39.35 MX$685

16.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,765

$91.3 MX$1,588

11.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,854

$79.8 MX$1,389

33.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.5K

$502 MX$8,735

100.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.0K

$396 MX$6,887

60.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.4K

$945 MX$16.4K

127.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.7K

$760 MX$13.2K

64.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.2K

$2,048 MX$35.6K

88.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.3K

$1,308 MX$22.8K

59.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.48

-1.22%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Last update for Cuajimalpa: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $502 in Cuajimalpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $39.00 in Cuajimalpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $250 per month, with Cuajimalpa 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 Cuajimalpa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuajimalpa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,222 in Mexico City and $1,628 in Cuajimalpa 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: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $502 in Cuajimalpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $437 in Mexico City versus $210 in Cuajimalpa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuajimalpa – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,086 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,481 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuajimalpa but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cuajimalpa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuajimalpa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Cuajimalpa 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 Cuajimalpa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.