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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,089 in Cuajimalpa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,734 in Cuajimalpa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,379 in Cuajimalpa.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Cuajimalpa is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$230

$10.47 MX$183

25.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$941

$38.89 MX$679

38.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$165

$8.10 MX$142

16.30%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$62.0

$3.32 MX$58.1

6.93%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$1.29 MX$22.61

25.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.46

$0.93 MX$16.23

19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.5

$2.37 MX$41.36

31.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.9

$3.96 MX$69.1

16.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.71

$1.47 MX$25.71

15.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.47

$2.61 MX$45.50

4.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.39

$1.62 MX$28.32

17.90%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.29

$2.41 MX$42.03

5.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$175

$8.23 MX$144

21.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$141

$7.85 MX$137

3.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$203

$10.43 MX$182

11.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.8

$2.67 MX$46.56

11.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.55

$1.44 MX$25.18

25.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.16

$1.80 MX$31.43

11.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.54

$1.57 MX$27.49

29.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$37.10

$1.83 MX$31.92

15.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.63

$2.00 MX$34.99

13.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.45

$1.20 MX$21.01

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.74

$1.01 MX$17.72

11.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$4.10 MX$71.6

4.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$272

$10.87 MX$190

43.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$1.63 MX$28.39

7.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.8

$2.87 MX$50.2

25.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.69

$0.65 MX$11.41

-41.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$335

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.03

$2.65 MX$46.20

-47.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$1.54 MX$26.98

-81.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$95.1

$8.11 MX$142

-32.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.77

$1.32 MX$22.99

-1.52%

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

$18.7K MX$326.4K

$20.9K MX$365.3K

-10.67%

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

$23.1K MX$404.0K

$22.2K MX$387.6K

4.23%

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

$40.86 MX$714

$57.2 MX$998

-28.52%

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

$26.81 MX$468

$22.44 MX$392

19.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$523

$28.34 MX$495

5.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$908

$36.51 MX$638

42.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$469

$15.67 MX$274

71.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$110

$4.62 MX$80.7

36.36%

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

$436 MX$7,617

$206 MX$3,593

112.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$181.9K

$3,570 MX$62.4K

191.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$989

$51.9 MX$906

9.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$775

$39.62 MX$692

12.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,798

$90.2 MX$1,575

14.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,843

$79.8 MX$1,393

32.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.8K

$510 MX$8,908

100.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$11.0K

$394 MX$6,882

60.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.3K

$938 MX$16.4K

127.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.7K

$761 MX$13.3K

63.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.2K

$2,108 MX$36.8K

85.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$36.1K

$1,377 MX$24.0K

49.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.5K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cuajimalpa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $510 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 $288 vs $251 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 $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,633 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $510 in Cuajimalpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $206 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 $1,089 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,467 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.