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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,219 in Cuajimalpa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,978 in Cuajimalpa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,738 in Cuajimalpa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 35% more expensive than in Cuajimalpa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Cuajimalpa is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$11.56 MX$195

4.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$882

$47.40 MX$800

10.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$8.86 MX$150

23.02%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.4

$3.87 MX$65.3

4.65%

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

$1.72 MX$28.96

$1.45 MX$24.49

18.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.26

$1.09 MX$18.48

26.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.5

$2.91 MX$49.19

19.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.1

$4.36 MX$73.5

33.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.30

$1.70 MX$28.66

8.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.4

$2.87 MX$48.47

12.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.21

$1.74 MX$29.40

20.11%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.12

$2.55 MX$43.00

14.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$9.07 MX$153

37.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$8.74 MX$148

15.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$268

$12.60 MX$213

26.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$2.98 MX$50.3

11.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.91

$1.69 MX$28.54

26.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.99

$1.99 MX$33.53

10.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.33

$1.96 MX$33.04

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.96

$2.09 MX$35.32

4.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.16

$1.91 MX$32.29

-0.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.28

$1.53 MX$25.83

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.79

$1.20 MX$20.25

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.6

$5.34 MX$90.2

1.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$11.59 MX$196

51.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.92

$1.94 MX$32.71

6.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.1

$3.29 MX$55.6

44.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.74

$0.75 MX$12.62

-54.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$364

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.45

$2.57 MX$43.40

-20.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.76

$1.94 MX$32.72

-70.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$10.18 MX$172

-41.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.28

$1.53 MX$25.79

5.88%

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

$22.8K MX$385.2K

$23.0K MX$388.6K

-0.89%

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

$26.7K MX$450.2K

$27.8K MX$469.0K

-4.02%

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

$65.2 MX$1,102

$67.2 MX$1,134

-2.87%

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

$29.87 MX$504

$24.55 MX$414

21.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$617

$35.69 MX$603

2.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,030

$40.66 MX$687

50.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$20.12 MX$340

32.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$4.80 MX$81.0

42.71%

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

$453 MX$7,656

$239 MX$4,042

89.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$225.8K

$5,487 MX$92.6K

143.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,266

$50.7 MX$855

48.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$934

$38.64 MX$652

43.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,918

$114 MX$1,925

-0.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,071

$101 MX$1,708

21.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.1K

$660 MX$11.1K

71.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$430 MX$7,264

65.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.4K

$988 MX$16.7K

160.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.1K

$943 MX$15.9K

39.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.4K

$1,684 MX$28.4K

137.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,234 MX$20.8K

69.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Cuajimalpa: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $660 in Cuajimalpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $47.00 in Cuajimalpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $284 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 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,469 in Mexico City and $1,828 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $660 in Cuajimalpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $239 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 $47.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,219 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,646 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 35% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.