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: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $1,101 in Cuajimalpa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,769 in Cuajimalpa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $2,438 in Cuajimalpa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 33% more expensive than Cuajimalpa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Cuajimalpa is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$10.61 MX$184

25.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$39.25 MX$680

37.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.00 MX$139

17.75%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$3.21 MX$55.6

11.84%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.27 MX$22.04

27.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.97 MX$16.72

15.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$2.39 MX$41.50

35.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$3.97 MX$68.7

17.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.50 MX$26.03

9.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$2.52 MX$43.65

5.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.63 MX$28.26

20.25%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.32 MX$40.16

9.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$7.93 MX$138

25.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$7.85 MX$136

6.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$10.38 MX$180

13.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$2.61 MX$45.25

9.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.45 MX$25.18

19.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$1.80 MX$31.22

10.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.60 MX$27.76

28.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.93 MX$33.53

6.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$2.02 MX$34.96

12.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.25 MX$21.72

16.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$1.02 MX$17.59

6.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.06 MX$70.3

5.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$10.82 MX$188

35.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$1.57 MX$27.15

12.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$2.77 MX$47.98

28.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.65 MX$11.33

-41.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$2.65 MX$46.00

-47.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$1.60 MX$27.72

-81.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$8.50 MX$147

-36.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.27 MX$21.98

5.51%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$21.0K MX$364.0K

-10.25%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$22.3K MX$386.0K

4.17%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$56.2 MX$974

-28.28%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$22.32 MX$387

21.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$28.00 MX$485

5.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$35.86 MX$621

47.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$16.14 MX$280

62.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$4.70 MX$81.5

31.49%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$208 MX$3,600

112.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$3,536 MX$61.3K

202.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$53.9 MX$934

6.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$39.27 MX$680

14.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$91.3 MX$1,583

13.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$78.7 MX$1,363

38.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$501 MX$8,688

99.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$389 MX$6,741

62.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$931 MX$16.1K

129.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$761 MX$13.2K

64.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$1,851 MX$32.1K

102.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$1,343 MX$23.3K

77.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Cuajimalpa: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $501 in Cuajimalpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $39 in Cuajimalpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $249 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 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,199 in Mexico City and $1,651 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $501 in Cuajimalpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $441 in Mexico City versus $208 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 $1,101 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,466 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 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.