Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Curridabat

For one person, living costs are similar in Mexico City and in Curridabat: $1,674 and $1,660 a month, rent and utilities included.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Curridabat
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Curridabat Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Curridabat

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,660

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Curridabat actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $1,660 in Curridabat.

Mexico City $1,674
Curridabat $1,660

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $2,756 in Curridabat.

Mexico City $2,606
Curridabat $2,756

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $3,852 in Curridabat.

Mexico City $3,537
Curridabat $3,852

Monthly costs are close between Mexico City and Curridabat; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 24% above, Curridabat 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$197

$11.14 ₡5,010

-4.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$967

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-6.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$200

$9.64 ₡4,334

11.31%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.6

$4.42 ₡1,987

-14.03%

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

$1.61 MX$30.01

$2.04 ₡916

-21.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.55

$1.40 ₡629

-13.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.1

$3.40 ₡1,528

-6.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$101

$2.95 ₡1,326

84.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$31.96

$2.34 ₡1,051

-26.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.2

$3.07 ₡1,379

-3.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.84

$2.51 ₡1,128

-23.11%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.6

$3.54 ₡1,591

-21.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$217

$10.83 ₡4,870

7.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$176

$10.62 ₡4,775

-10.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$286

$13.90 ₡6,251

10.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$57.8

$4.99 ₡2,246

-37.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.49

$1.60 ₡719

22.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$36.88

$4.69 ₡2,111

-57.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.46

$3.95 ₡1,778

-40.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.66

$3.94 ₡1,771

-48.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.95

$3.76 ₡1,690

-51.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.74

$1.11 ₡499

38.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.42

$3.13 ₡1,410

-58.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$99.6

$6.02 ₡2,707

-11.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$301

$20.10 ₡9,039

-19.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.46

$2.87 ₡1,291

-31.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.0

$3.59 ₡1,612

21.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.67

$1.23 ₡554

-75.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.68

$2.25 ₡1,013

-14.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.80

$1.81 ₡812

-74.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$101

$7.94 ₡3,569

-31.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.61

$1.55 ₡699

-4.52%

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

$21.4K MX$397.7K

$33.4K ₡15.0M

-36.08%

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

$23.8K MX$442.1K

$41.3K ₡18.6M

-42.46%

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

$62.0 MX$1,154

$96.4 ₡43.4K

-35.72%

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

$28.47 MX$530

$35.56 ₡16.0K

-19.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$635

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-43.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,087

$59.4 ₡26.7K

-1.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$123

$7.56 ₡3,401

-12.83%

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

$434 MX$8,081

$997 ₡448.2K

-56.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$261.2K

$19.2K ₡8.6M

-26.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,272

$73.1 ₡32.9K

-6.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,020

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-3.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,063

$128 ₡57.7K

-13.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,158

$134 ₡60.4K

-13.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$21.9K

$793 ₡356.7K

48.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.3K

$590 ₡265.5K

30.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$47.8K

$1,860 ₡836.6K

38.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.4K

$1,447 ₡650.7K

-1.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$66.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.7K

$492 ₡221.1K

103.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

8.62

31.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Curridabat: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Curridabat

$590 35.6% 23.4% $180

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Curridabat

$402 24.2% 24.2% $78

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Curridabat

$208 12.5% 3.6% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Curridabat

$177 10.6% 12.1% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Curridabat

$193 11.6% 54.6% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Curridabat

$75 4.5% 4.2% $3

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Curridabat

$16 * 1% 35.1% $8.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $793 in Curridabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $56 in Curridabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $402 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇷 Curridabat

🕒 Local time

16:43 4:43 PM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

33,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Curridabat 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Curridabat

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 Curridabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay in Mexico City is about 2 times higher, 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: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $793 in Curridabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $52 versus $56 in Curridabat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $434 in Mexico City versus $997 in Curridabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Curridabat gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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