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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,154 in Cuautla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,849 in Cuautla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,545 in Cuautla.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 29% more expensive than Cuautla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Cuautla is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$9.53 MX$167

36.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$45.80 MX$802

15.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$7.80 MX$136

24.62%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.59 MX$62.9

4.46%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.31 MX$22.98

19.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.95 MX$16.60

18.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.39 MX$41.87

33.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$4.35 MX$76.2

7.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.59 MX$27.85

1.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$2.61 MX$45.64

3.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$2.00 MX$35.01

-6.00%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.31 MX$40.50

8.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.50 MX$149

18.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$9.78 MX$171

-15.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$12.89 MX$226

-7.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$3.72 MX$65.2

-23.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.45 MX$25.45

20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.94 MX$33.88

7.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.78 MX$31.23

10.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.77 MX$31.06

22.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.89 MX$33.00

15.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.26 MX$21.98

10.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.10 MX$19.29

1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$4.33 MX$75.8

-3.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$16.98 MX$297

-16.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.04 MX$35.68

-13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$3.32 MX$58.1

10.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.66 MX$11.56

-40.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$3.21 MX$56.2

-56.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.23 MX$21.54

-75.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$9.48 MX$166

-42.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.28 MX$22.31

5.47%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$19.7K MX$345.3K

-4.31%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$20.1K MX$352.6K

14.90%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$63.2 MX$1,106

-35.39%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$23.57 MX$412

16.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$28.31 MX$495

7.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$35.81 MX$627

49.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$16.00 MX$280

64.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$5.91 MX$103

6.09%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$323 MX$5,645

35.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$4,898 MX$85.7K

113.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$50.6 MX$885

12.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$43.34 MX$758

3.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$99.6 MX$1,743

3.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$96.5 MX$1,689

11.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$499 MX$8,739

100.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$389 MX$6,811

59.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$918 MX$16.1K

132.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$768 MX$13.4K

60.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,784 MX$31.2K

116.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,095 MX$19.2K

112.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cuautla: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $499 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 $286 vs $294, 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 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,730 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $499 in Cuautla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $323 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 $1,154 in Cuautla versus $1,484 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 29% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.