Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cuauhtémoc

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuauhtémoc: $1,191 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Cuauhtémoc, Mexico
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,674
/mo nomad
Cuauhtémoc
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,191
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Cuauhtémoc

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Cuauhtémoc actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,674 per month in Mexico City vs $1,191 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,674
  • Cuauhtémoc $1,191

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Mexico City vs $1,860 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,606
  • Cuauhtémoc $1,860

A family of three spends $3,537 per month in Mexico City vs $2,530 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,537
  • Cuauhtémoc $2,530

Mexico City costs about 41% more than Cuauhtémoc, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 24% above the global median, while Cuauhtémoc is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Cuauhtémoc
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.59 MX$199
$10.82 MX$203
-2.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.0 MX$976
$43.33 MX$814
19.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.73 MX$201
$8.33 MX$156
28.81%
Cappuccino
$3.80 MX$71.3
$3.43 MX$64.4
10.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 MX$30.28
$1.32 MX$24.85
21.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.21 MX$22.76
$1.05 MX$19.67
15.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 MX$59.7
$2.46 MX$46.22
29.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.44 MX$102
$4.15 MX$77.9
31.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Cuauhtémoc
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.26
$1.58 MX$29.59
8.86%
White Bread (500g)
$2.97 MX$55.7
$2.53 MX$47.43
17.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.93 MX$36.17
$1.69 MX$31.68
14.20%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$52.1
$2.46 MX$46.20
12.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.67 MX$219
$8.20 MX$154
42.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.48 MX$178
$8.13 MX$153
16.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.37 MX$289
$11.23 MX$211
36.87%
Apples (1kg)
$3.10 MX$58.3
$2.65 MX$49.72
16.98%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 MX$36.82
$1.48 MX$27.85
32.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 MX$37.22
$1.92 MX$35.99
3.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.34 MX$43.86
$1.82 MX$34.21
28.57%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$38.00
$1.98 MX$37.23
2.02%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$34.26
$1.80 MX$33.82
1.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 MX$29.00
$1.43 MX$26.92
7.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 MX$24.64
$1.07 MX$20.02
22.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.35 MX$100
$4.30 MX$80.7
24.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.19 MX$304
$10.08 MX$189
60.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 MX$36.79
$1.77 MX$33.30
10.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 MX$81.7
$3.03 MX$56.9
43.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Cuauhtémoc
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.30 MX$5.72
$0.67 MX$12.63
-55.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.49 MX$366
$30.53 MX$573
-36.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.92 MX$36.01
$2.63 MX$49.32
-27.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 MX$8.88
$1.90 MX$35.73
-75.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 MX$102
$10.79 MX$203
-49.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 MX$27.86
$1.48 MX$27.79
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K MX$401.4K
$23.4K MX$438.7K
-8.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K MX$446.1K
$23.8K MX$446.5K
-0.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Cuauhtémoc
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.0 MX$1,164
$56.6 MX$1,062
9.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.47 MX$535
$22.47 MX$422
26.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.11 MX$641
$29.33 MX$551
16.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Cuauhtémoc
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.4 MX$1,097
$31.80 MX$597
83.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.50 MX$460
$19.76 MX$371
23.99%
Cinema Ticket
$6.59 MX$124
$4.98 MX$93.5
32.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Cuauhtémoc
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$434 MX$8,155
$212 MX$3,978
105.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.0K MX$263.6K
$4,464 MX$83.8K
214.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Cuauhtémoc
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.4 MX$1,284
$53.2 MX$1,000
28.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.8 MX$1,029
$39.97 MX$751
37.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 MX$2,082
$96.9 MX$1,820
14.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 MX$2,178
$87.8 MX$1,648
32.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Cuauhtémoc
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,179 MX$22.1K
$592 MX$11.1K
99.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$771 MX$14.5K
$429 MX$8,051
79.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,570 MX$48.3K
$1,015 MX$19.1K
153.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,420 MX$26.7K
$747 MX$14.0K
90.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,586 MX$67.3K
$1,880 MX$35.3K
90.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,064 MX$38.8K
$1,105 MX$20.7K
86.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Cuauhtémoc
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,003 MX$18.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
11.31
0.35%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cuauhtémoc: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$771
Cuauhtémoc
$429 44.4% $342
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$324
Cuauhtémoc
$259 20.1% $65
Eating Out
Mexico City
$201
Cuauhtémoc
$183 8.9% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$158
Cuauhtémoc
$125 20.6% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$125
Cuauhtémoc
$108 13% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Cuauhtémoc
$42 41.7% $30
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Cuauhtémoc
$45 81.5% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,179 in Mexico City versus $592 in Cuauhtémoc. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Mexico City versus $43 in Cuauhtémoc. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $259 – making Cuauhtémoc the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇲🇽 Cuauhtémoc
🕒 Local time
02:41 2:41 AM
02:41 2:41 AM
Same time as Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
545,884
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Cuauhtémoc 2 km
From you
  • Mexico City
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Cuauhtémoc: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cuauhtémoc cheaper than Mexico City?
Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 41%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,510 per month in Mexico City and $1,786 in Cuauhtémoc. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cuauhtémoc, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $592 there versus $1,179 in Mexico City.
How do food prices compare in Mexico City and in Cuauhtémoc?
Groceries cost about 25% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Mexico City or in Cuauhtémoc?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Mexico City and $43 in Cuauhtémoc. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Mexico City or in Cuauhtémoc?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cuauhtémoc, where all-in costs run around $1,191, than in Mexico City at $1,674. In Cuauhtémoc it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city suits remote workers better?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cuauhtémoc costs $1,191 versus $1,674 in Mexico City. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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