Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and David

For one person, living is cheaper in David: $883 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

David

🇵🇦 Panama

$883

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $883 in David, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
David $883

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $949 in David, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
David $949

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $1,014 in David, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
David $1,014

Mexico City costs about 82% more than David, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while David is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$5.65 PAB 5.65

87.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$37.37 PAB 37.37

29.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$7.11 PAB 7.11

45.57%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$3.28 PAB 3.28

12.50%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$1.53 PAB 1.53

9.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$1.48 PAB 1.48

-14.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$2.05 PAB 2.05

55.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$2.68 PAB 2.68

98.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$1.77 PAB 1.77

-2.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$2.14 PAB 2.14

42.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$2.44 PAB 2.44

-20.49%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$2.39 PAB 2.39

20.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$1.94 PAB 1.94

-23.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$9.86 PAB 9.86

63.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.72 PAB 0.72

-56.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$3.01 PAB 3.01

-38.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$2.04 PAB 2.04

-74.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$1.07 PAB 1.07

41.12%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

-11.45%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$30.0K PAB 30.0K

-20.05%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$185 PAB 185

-66.04%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$28.76 PAB 28.76

-4.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$48.59 PAB 48.59

-26.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$30.61 PAB 30.61

92.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

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

$432 MX$8,111

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$5,960 PAB 5,960

91.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$347 PAB 347

220.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$354 PAB 354

100.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$598 PAB 598

58.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

62.14%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for David: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

David

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

David

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

David

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

David

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

David

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

David

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

David

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $347 in David. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 58% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $37 in David. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $86 – making David the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇦 David

🕒 Local time

22:46 10:46 PM

23:46 11:46 PM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

82,907

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.896 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City David 2,180 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
David

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 David: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $1,324 in David. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in David, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $347 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Groceries cost about 272% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $37 in David. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in David, where all-in costs run around $883, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In David it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $883 in David to $1,608 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with David. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.