Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cuernavaca

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuernavaca: $1,208 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Cuernavaca
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Cuernavaca Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Cuernavaca

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Cuernavaca

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Cuernavaca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,208 in Cuernavaca.

Mexico City $1,608
Cuernavaca $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,788 in Cuernavaca.

Mexico City $2,549
Cuernavaca $1,788

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,368 in Cuernavaca.

Mexico City $3,490
Cuernavaca $2,368

Living in Mexico City is roughly 33% more expensive than in Cuernavaca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Cuernavaca is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$7.98 MX$149

33.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$906

$37.14 MX$696

30.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$6.83 MX$128

51.54%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.2

$2.48 MX$46.41

48.79%

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

$1.67 MX$31.23

$1.31 MX$24.52

27.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.71

$0.61 MX$11.45

108.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.8

$2.44 MX$45.65

30.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.5

$3.27 MX$61.3

62.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.32

$1.62 MX$30.40

6.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.0

$2.21 MX$41.41

37.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

$1.42 MX$26.58

36.62%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.1

$1.89 MX$35.33

52.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$7.76 MX$145

41.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

$4.82 MX$90.2

91.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$283

$13.55 MX$254

11.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.1

$2.21 MX$41.38

38.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

$1.32 MX$24.80

46.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.95

$2.22 MX$41.57

-8.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.38

$1.66 MX$31.04

39.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.14

$1.76 MX$33.03

15.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.73

$1.71 MX$32.03

5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.72

$1.49 MX$27.97

-0.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.75

$0.83 MX$15.55

53.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$4.23 MX$79.3

25.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

$8.03 MX$150

100.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.16

$1.21 MX$22.69

63.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.7

$3.30 MX$61.8

28.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.72

$0.71 MX$13.35

-56.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$370

$34.93 MX$655

-43.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.44

$1.91 MX$35.72

-3.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.00

$2.49 MX$46.74

-78.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.2

$10.64 MX$199

-50.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.31

$1.33 MX$25.01

13.53%

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

$21.8K MX$407.7K

$24.5K MX$458.2K

-11.04%

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

$24.0K MX$449.5K

$23.4K MX$437.8K

2.67%

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

$63.0 MX$1,180

$56.4 MX$1,057

11.71%

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

$27.39 MX$513

$18.52 MX$347

47.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$668

$24.73 MX$463

44.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,105

$29.09 MX$545

102.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$443

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$5.24 MX$98.1

22.14%

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

$432 MX$8,088

$218 MX$4,083

98.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.1K

$5,055 MX$94.7K

125.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,278

$40.44 MX$758

68.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$996

$32.23 MX$604

64.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,020

$92.5 MX$1,733

16.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,198

$97.7 MX$1,831

20.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$619 MX$11.6K

79.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$529 MX$9,910

34.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.5K

$901 MX$16.9K

187.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

$803 MX$15.1K

75.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.0K

$851 MX$15.9K

326.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.0K

$594 MX$11.1K

259.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

$638 MX$11.9K

48.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

11.4

-0.44%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Cuernavaca

$529 43.8% 25.6% $182

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Cuernavaca

$229 19% 28.3% $91

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Cuernavaca

$140 11.6% 29.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Cuernavaca

$118 9.8% 24.1% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Cuernavaca

$100 8.3% 21% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Cuernavaca

$40 3.3% 44.9% $32

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Cuernavaca

$52 4.3% 105% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $619 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 48% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $37 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $229 per month, with Cuernavaca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇽 Cuernavaca

🕒 Local time

10:47 10:47 AM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

341,029

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Mexico City Cuernavaca 58 km

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Mexico City
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 25% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 48% 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $619 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% 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 $37 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,208 in Cuernavaca versus $1,608 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Cuernavaca wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.