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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $720 in Datong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,149 in Datong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,578 in Datong.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 133% more expensive than in Datong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Datong is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$2.73 ¥18.31

344.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$21.78 ¥146

147.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$4.89 ¥32.78

126.79%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$3.01 ¥20.16

36.21%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.43 ¥2.90

290.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.27 ¥1.78

414.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$0.93 ¥6.22

258.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.04 ¥13.64

188.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.82 ¥12.16

1.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.60 ¥10.75

98.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$0.96 ¥6.43

115.63%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$1.56 ¥10.44

87.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$12.63 ¥84.6

-0.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$3.13 ¥20.98

223.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$10.15 ¥68.0

58.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$1.82 ¥12.16

86.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.20 ¥8.04

73.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.52 ¥10.21

39.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.15 ¥7.67

109.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$0.75 ¥5.05

184.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$0.97 ¥6.47

107.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$0.57 ¥3.80

171.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.54 ¥3.63

151.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$3.16 ¥21.14

82.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$10.55 ¥70.6

68.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$0.74 ¥4.93

179.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$1.60 ¥10.71

188.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.27 ¥1.79

37.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$16.50 ¥111

28.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.37 ¥9.18

49.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.33 ¥2.18

75.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$6.76 ¥45.28

-10.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.13 ¥7.58

37.17%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$19.3K ¥129.4K

18.39%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$17.4K ¥116.3K

56.81%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$45.67 ¥306

47.60%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$9.93 ¥66.5

208.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$11.86 ¥79.5

214.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$41.18 ¥276

49.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$14.00 ¥93.8

93.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$5.86 ¥39.22

21.33%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$329 ¥2,204

38.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$17.0K ¥114.0K

-19.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$44.49 ¥298

66.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$30.62 ¥205

86.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$71.8 ¥481

60.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$71.8 ¥481

69.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$280 ¥1,873

310.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$195 ¥1,307

263.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$582 ¥3,895

343.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$361 ¥2,415

259.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$3,031 ¥20.3K

32.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$2,054 ¥13.8K

3.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.89

190.49%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Datong: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $280 in Datong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $22.00 in Datong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $197 per month, with Datong 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 Datong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Datong wins on cost – living expenses run 133% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Datong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,515 in Mexico City and $1,080 in Datong to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $280 in Datong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $329 in Datong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $720 in Datong versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Datong but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Datong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Datong delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $720 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Datong hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Datong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 133% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.