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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,012 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,682 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,352 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 47% more expensive than Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Cuernavaca is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$9.51 MX$166

36.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$37.72 MX$660

40.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$7.03 MX$123

38.26%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.32 MX$40.57

61.64%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.26 MX$22.06

24.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.77 MX$13.52

46.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.19 MX$38.24

45.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.22 MX$56.3

44.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.56 MX$27.21

3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.77 MX$31.05

53.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.33 MX$23.25

41.35%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.89 MX$33.06

32.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.26 MX$144

22.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.26 MX$110

32.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$12.99 MX$227

-8.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.10 MX$36.71

36.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.31 MX$23.01

33.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.71 MX$29.93

21.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.55 MX$27.15

27.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.76 MX$30.86

22.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.91 MX$33.46

14.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.99 MX$17.29

40.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.71 MX$12.39

57.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$4.16 MX$72.9

0.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$8.56 MX$150

66.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.15 MX$20.11

53.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.94 MX$51.5

25.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.52 MX$9.08

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$26.90 MX$471

-30.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.87 MX$32.67

-25.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.19 MX$20.80

-74.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$9.06 MX$159

-40.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.29 MX$22.60

4.65%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$18.5K MX$323.6K

2.13%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$20.6K MX$360.6K

12.36%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$60.2 MX$1,053

-32.19%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$22.63 MX$396

21.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$27.78 MX$486

9.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$22.94 MX$401

132.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$15.76 MX$276

66.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$5.34 MX$93.5

17.42%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$214 MX$3,749

103.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$4,891 MX$85.6K

114.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$48.02 MX$840

18.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$39.62 MX$693

13.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$101 MX$1,768

1.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$84.3 MX$1,475

28.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$371 MX$6,496

169.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$318 MX$5,573

94.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$910 MX$15.9K

134.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$772 MX$13.5K

60.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$928 MX$16.2K

316.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$635 MX$11.1K

267.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$683 MX$11.9K

56.30%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $371 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 56% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 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 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 56% more on average, 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: $1,000 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 27% 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 $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,012 in Cuernavaca versus $1,484 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 47% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.