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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,266 in Cuautla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $2,085 in Cuautla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,903 in Cuautla.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 31% more expensive than in Cuautla, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Cuautla is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$11.70 MX$201

1.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$65.3 MX$1,121

-20.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$9.67 MX$166

17.99%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$3.95 MX$67.8

1.01%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.76 MX$30.26

-5.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$1.10 MX$18.80

20.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$3.69 MX$63.3

-5.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.89 MX$32.51

-0.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$2.97 MX$51.0

9.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$2.14 MX$36.77

0.93%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$3.00 MX$51.6

-3.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$9.59 MX$165

34.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$9.43 MX$162

6.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$14.52 MX$249

9.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$3.71 MX$63.7

-11.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.78 MX$30.59

12.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$2.40 MX$41.13

-8.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$2.01 MX$34.50

17.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$2.04 MX$35.08

0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.86 MX$32.00

2.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.58 MX$27.06

1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$1.25 MX$21.46

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$4.99 MX$85.7

9.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$18.59 MX$319

-5.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$2.39 MX$41.09

-13.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$4.52 MX$77.6

3.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$0.73 MX$12.47

-53.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$3.57 MX$61.2

-41.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$2.73 MX$46.93

-79.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$11.87 MX$204

-51.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.39 MX$23.81

15.83%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$22.6K MX$387.5K

1.18%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$25.2K MX$432.9K

6.07%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$65.4 MX$1,122

-0.31%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$29.22 MX$502

2.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$27.08 MX$465

37.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$38.97 MX$669

53.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

$23.74 MX$407

11.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$7.79 MX$134

-9.63%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$286 MX$4,913

62.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$5,353 MX$91.9K

147.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$57.2 MX$982

32.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$48.63 MX$835

15.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$105 MX$1,803

6.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$103 MX$1,763

17.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$618 MX$10.6K

78.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$357 MX$6,125

101.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$1,015 MX$17.4K

149.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$824 MX$14.1K

56.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$2,000 MX$34.3K

99.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$1,184 MX$20.3K

76.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.99

-5.75%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cuautla: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $618 in Cuautla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $65.0 in Cuautla. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $327, with Cuautla 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 Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,899 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $618 in Cuautla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $286 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 $65.0 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Cuautla versus $1,660 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 31% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.