Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Da Lat

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Lat: $611 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Da Lat
Learn more

Da Lat Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Da Lat

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Da Lat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $611 in Da Lat.

Mexico City $1,567
Da Lat $611

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $914 in Da Lat.

Mexico City $2,450
Da Lat $914

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $1,218 in Da Lat.

Mexico City $3,333
Da Lat $1,218

Living in Mexico City is roughly 157% more expensive than in Da Lat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Da Lat is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$199

$2.20 ₫57.0K

388.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$929

$15.43 ₫399.6K

225.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

$5.21 ₫134.8K

113.05%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$1.61 ₫41.6K

128.57%

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

$1.65 MX$30.42

$0.59 ₫15.2K

179.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$24.08

$0.31 ₫7,960

319.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$0.86 ₫22.2K

286.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$1.52 ₫39.4K

264.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$1.51 ₫39.1K

17.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$1.30 ₫33.8K

134.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.20

$1.17 ₫30.2K

71.79%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.1

$1.62 ₫42.1K

70.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$220

$7.80 ₫202.0K

52.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$4.01 ₫103.9K

132.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$278

$4.55 ₫117.8K

230.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.8

$4.11 ₫106.4K

-25.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.97

$1.83 ₫47.4K

6.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.54

$3.21 ₫83.1K

-36.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$1.54 ₫40.0K

43.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.41

$1.76 ₫45.5K

14.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.67

$1.62 ₫42.1K

12.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$0.75 ₫19.5K

102.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

$0.52 ₫13.5K

146.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

$1.68 ₫43.5K

213.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

$7.71 ₫199.5K

109.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

$0.44 ₫11.4K

343.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

$2.07 ₫53.5K

105.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.82

$0.37 ₫9,514

-16.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$0.60 ₫15.5K

233.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

$1.12 ₫29.0K

-52.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$0.85 ₫21.9K

78.82%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

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

$62.5 MX$1,155

$39.69 ₫1.0M

57.45%

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

$28.77 MX$532

$4.27 ₫110.6K

573.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$637

$14.92 ₫386.3K

130.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,055

$12.46 ₫322.6K

358.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$1.99 ₫51.4K

235.18%

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

$431 MX$7,964

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,308

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$958

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,011

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,076

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$281 ₫7.3M

273.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.3K

$276 ₫7.1M

140.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.3K

$621 ₫16.1M

277.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.7K

$465 ₫12.0M

163.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

$436 ₫11.3M

123.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Da Lat: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

Da Lat

$276 45.2% 58.5% $389

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

Da Lat

$188 30.8% 41.7% $135

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

Da Lat

$63 10.4% 68.8% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

Da Lat

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Da Lat

$59 9.6% 53.2% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Da Lat

$16 2.7% 76.7% $54

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

Da Lat

$7.7 * 1.3% 70.2% $18

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 $1,051 in Mexico City and $281 in Da Lat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 124% 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: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $15.00 in Da Lat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $188 per month, with Da Lat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇻🇳 Da Lat

🕒 Local time

05:47 5:47 AM

18:47 6:47 PM

13 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

258,014

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,108 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Da Lat 15,400 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Da Lat

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 Da Lat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Da Lat differ by about 157% in total monthly costs ($1,567 vs $611 including rent). Da Lat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 124% 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: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $281 in Da Lat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Da Lat – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $50.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,567 per month in Mexico City versus $611 in Da Lat – a 157% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $611 in Da Lat versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Da Lat but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Da Lat 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Da Lat 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 Da Lat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.