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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $994 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,697 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,399 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 48% more expensive than in Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Cuernavaca is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$228

$9.86 MX$171

33.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$927

$37.73 MX$654

41.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$162

$7.00 MX$121

33.29%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.1

$2.34 MX$40.63

58.12%

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

$1.60 MX$27.80

$1.32 MX$22.83

21.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.37

$0.74 MX$12.74

51.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$2.27 MX$39.37

38.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.0

$3.09 MX$53.6

56.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.65

$1.53 MX$26.57

7.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.02

$1.78 MX$30.80

52.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.38 MX$23.91

38.41%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.87

$1.81 MX$31.34

43.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$8.16 MX$141

20.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$6.31 MX$109

33.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$207

$13.15 MX$228

-9.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.2

$2.11 MX$36.64

39.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.15

$1.27 MX$22.09

37.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.43

$1.74 MX$30.09

17.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.69

$1.56 MX$27.09

32.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.25

$1.79 MX$31.10

20.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.08

$1.87 MX$32.42

20.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.01

$0.98 MX$16.90

41.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.72 MX$12.48

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.1

$4.21 MX$73.0

0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$8.59 MX$149

103.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.62

$1.14 MX$19.80

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.9

$2.85 MX$49.46

27.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.11

$0.55 MX$9.48

-36.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$335

$26.91 MX$466

-28.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.87 MX$32.47

-26.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.20 MX$20.80

-76.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.4

$9.38 MX$162

-43.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.53

$1.23 MX$21.26

10.57%

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

$19.1K MX$331.0K

$18.4K MX$318.0K

4.09%

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

$23.6K MX$409.0K

$20.8K MX$361.0K

13.30%

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

$40.53 MX$702

$60.4 MX$1,046

-32.88%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$22.92 MX$397

19.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$28.54 MX$494

6.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$905

$22.81 MX$395

128.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$459

$15.71 MX$272

68.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$5.15 MX$89.2

20.19%

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

$425 MX$7,365

$208 MX$3,602

104.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.0K

$4,854 MX$84.1K

121.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,010

$47.44 MX$822

22.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$772

$40.16 MX$696

10.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$97.9 MX$1,696

5.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$83.8 MX$1,452

29.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.6K

$371 MX$6,434

173.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$317 MX$5,496

96.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$917 MX$15.9K

131.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$791 MX$13.7K

54.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.7K

$925 MX$16.0K

309.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.6K

$644 MX$11.2K

227.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$681 MX$11.8K

54.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.33

0.09%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $371 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 55% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $225 per month, with Cuernavaca cheaper across the board.

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 Cuernavaca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuernavaca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 55% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $371 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $994 in Cuernavaca versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuernavaca 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Cuernavaca are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.