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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,184 in Cuautla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,879 in Cuautla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,575 in Cuautla.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 22% more expensive than Cuautla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Cuautla is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$9.50 MX$163

36.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$46.20 MX$793

13.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$7.78 MX$133

21.21%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$3.65 MX$62.7

-2.19%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.26 MX$21.62

27.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$1.02 MX$17.54

12.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.36 MX$40.59

33.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$4.22 MX$72.4

15.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.53 MX$26.28

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$2.69 MX$46.22

-1.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$2.03 MX$34.77

-6.40%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.37 MX$40.73

7.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$8.18 MX$140

23.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$9.47 MX$163

-12.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$12.81 MX$220

-9.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$3.54 MX$60.8

-14.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.52 MX$26.05

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.90 MX$32.63

7.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.76 MX$30.21

17.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.73 MX$29.70

19.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.89 MX$32.39

14.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.26 MX$21.65

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$1.11 MX$19.10

0.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$4.26 MX$73.2

0.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$17.52 MX$301

-12.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.94 MX$33.26

-13.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$3.16 MX$54.2

16.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.65 MX$11.07

-41.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$3.10 MX$53.3

-55.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$1.24 MX$21.28

-77.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$9.53 MX$164

-43.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.23 MX$21.10

4.07%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$20.2K MX$346.1K

-5.86%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$20.7K MX$355.5K

13.26%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$63.6 MX$1,091

-35.49%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$23.90 MX$410

12.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$28.20 MX$484

5.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$36.18 MX$621

44.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$16.12 MX$277

62.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$6.11 MX$105

1.15%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$313 MX$5,369

36.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$4,857 MX$83.4K

120.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$50.3 MX$863

12.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$42.91 MX$736

4.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$99.3 MX$1,704

5.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$98.4 MX$1,688

7.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$501 MX$8,591

98.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$394 MX$6,770

57.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$928 MX$15.9K

129.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$776 MX$13.3K

61.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$1,999 MX$34.3K

95.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,260 MX$21.6K

66.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.55

-1.82%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cuautla: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $501 in Cuautla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $46.00 in Cuautla. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $292, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cuautla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuautla is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,775 in Cuautla 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $501 in Cuautla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $313 in Cuautla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuautla – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,184 in Cuautla versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuautla but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cuautla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuautla 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.

Expats usually find Cuautla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.