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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $739 in Cusco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,164 in Cusco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,589 in Cusco.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 97% more expensive than in Cusco, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Cusco is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$2.73 PEN 9.24

378.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$940

$28.05 PEN 95.1

91.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.64 PEN 19.11

71.63%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.4

$2.00 PEN 6.78

87.00%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$1.23 PEN 4.16

31.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.31

$0.73 PEN 2.48

58.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.4

$2.23 PEN 7.57

44.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.9

$4.29 PEN 14.55

10.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.80

$1.45 PEN 4.90

13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.15

$2.88 PEN 9.78

-4.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.77

$1.27 PEN 4.31

47.24%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.72

$3.80 PEN 12.89

-34.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$4.64 PEN 15.74

119.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.82 PEN 16.33

71.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$6.78 PEN 22.97

74.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.6

$2.45 PEN 8.31

22.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.67

$0.72 PEN 2.45

151.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.96

$1.32 PEN 4.49

51.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.89

$0.88 PEN 3.00

127.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.45

$1.00 PEN 3.38

108.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.72

$0.99 PEN 3.34

129.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.47

$0.65 PEN 2.19

124.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.82

$0.70 PEN 2.36

54.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.0

$4.75 PEN 16.08

-8.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$297

$5.83 PEN 19.76

191.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.31

$1.90 PEN 6.45

-8.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.5

$3.16 PEN 10.71

13.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.77

$0.29 PEN 0.99

34.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.18

$1.64 PEN 5.56

-18.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.89

$1.66 PEN 5.64

-83.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.8

$2.79 PEN 9.46

88.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.37

$1.49 PEN 5.06

-10.07%

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

$19.4K MX$339.4K

$19.1K PEN 64.8K

1.54%

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

$23.8K MX$416.7K

$21.9K PEN 74.2K

8.89%

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

$40.69 MX$712

$33.89 PEN 115

20.06%

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

$26.87 MX$470

$14.14 PEN 47.92

90.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$534

$31.07 PEN 105

-1.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$923

$30.62 PEN 104

72.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$466

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$5.00 PEN 16.94

30.20%

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

$428 MX$7,485

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,001

$36.06 PEN 122

58.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$796

$29.00 PEN 98.3

56.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,819

$61.9 PEN 210

68.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,885

$72.3 PEN 245

49.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$303 PEN 1,028

230.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$247 PEN 838

151.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.9K

$588 PEN 1,993

258.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.3K

$424 PEN 1,436

187.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.9K

$3,891 PEN 13.2K

-0.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.5K

$1,798 PEN 6,096

13.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$427 PEN 1,448

142.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.09%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Cusco: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $303 in Cusco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 143% 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 $28.00 in Cusco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $192 per month, with Cusco 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 Cusco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cusco is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 143% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $303 in Cusco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cusco – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $739 in Cusco versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cusco but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cusco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cusco 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 Cusco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.