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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,466 per month in Mexico City vs $1,103 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,325 per month in Mexico City vs $1,767 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,184 per month in Mexico City vs $2,431 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 33% more than Cuauhtémoc, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 9% above the global median, while Cuauhtémoc is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$10.68 MX$185

24.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$38.26 MX$663

40.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.96 MX$138

18.34%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$3.24 MX$56.1

10.80%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.29 MX$22.38

25.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.90 MX$15.58

24.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$2.42 MX$42.01

34.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$3.95 MX$68.5

17.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.42 MX$24.63

15.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$2.55 MX$44.18

3.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.61 MX$27.94

21.74%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.38 MX$41.29

6.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$8.12 MX$141

22.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$8.04 MX$139

4.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$10.49 MX$182

12.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$2.59 MX$44.85

10.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.44 MX$24.99

20.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$1.72 MX$29.72

15.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.59 MX$27.55

28.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.93 MX$33.42

6.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$1.99 MX$34.53

14.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.25 MX$21.63

16.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$1.01 MX$17.53

7.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.07 MX$70.6

4.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$11.73 MX$203

25.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$1.56 MX$27.04

12.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$2.88 MX$49.83

23.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.60 MX$10.39

-36.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$2.53 MX$43.86

-45.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$1.53 MX$26.52

-80.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$8.49 MX$147

-36.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.30 MX$22.54

3.08%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$20.9K MX$361.4K

-9.61%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$22.7K MX$393.6K

2.15%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$56.0 MX$970

-28.02%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$21.97 MX$381

23.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$28.64 MX$496

2.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$36.60 MX$634

44.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$15.58 MX$270

67.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$4.75 MX$82.4

30.11%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$205 MX$3,557

114.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$3,663 MX$63.5K

192.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$53.9 MX$934

6.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$39.11 MX$678

15.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$90.7 MX$1,572

14.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$78.2 MX$1,355

39.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$511 MX$8,847

95.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$395 MX$6,847

60.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$929 MX$16.1K

130.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$749 MX$13.0K

67.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$1,710 MX$29.6K

119.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$1,434 MX$24.9K

66.00%

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 Cuauhtémoc: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,000 in Mexico City versus $511 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 $54 in Mexico City versus $38 in Cuauhtémoc. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $252 – making Cuauhtémoc the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 33%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,199 per month in Mexico City and $1,654 in Cuauhtémoc. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cuauhtémoc, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City and $38.00 in Cuauhtémoc. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cuauhtémoc, where all-in costs run around $1,103, than in Mexico City at $1,466. In Cuauhtémoc it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cuauhtémoc – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Cuauhtémoc. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.