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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $810 in Diadema.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,317 in Diadema.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,823 in Diadema.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 83% more expensive than Diadema, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Diadema is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$7.09 R$35.38

83.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$39.87 R$199

33.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$7.02 R$35.04

38.46%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.87 R$9.34

100.53%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.21 R$6.01

29.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.90 R$4.50

25.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.76 R$8.78

80.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.92 R$14.55

59.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.02 R$5.09

58.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.58 R$7.89

71.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.31 R$6.55

43.51%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.35 R$11.74

6.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$7.97 R$39.79

26.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.89 R$19.42

113.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$8.57 R$42.79

39.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.20 R$10.97

30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.75 R$8.75

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.45 R$7.25

43.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.60 R$8.00

23.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.25 R$6.24

72.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.08 R$5.41

101.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.76 R$3.79

82.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.65 R$3.25

72.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.49 R$12.41

68.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$9.43 R$47.04

51.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.36 R$6.80

29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.40 R$11.96

53.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.94 R$4.68

-58.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$38.96 R$194

-52.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.86 R$4.32

61.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.71 R$3.55

-57.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$8.76 R$43.74

-38.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.01 R$5.06

33.66%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$22.0K R$109.6K

-14.03%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$28.9K R$144.4K

-20.00%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$46.77 R$233

-12.72%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$13.05 R$65.1

110.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$19.01 R$94.9

59.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$22.35 R$112

139.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$21.23 R$106

23.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$5.49 R$27.40

14.21%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$318 R$1,588

37.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$6,901 R$34.4K

51.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$51.0 R$255

11.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$41.58 R$207

7.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$77.4 R$386

32.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$73.0 R$364

47.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$317 R$1,583

215.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$214 R$1,070

189.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$585 R$2,918

265.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$429 R$2,143

187.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,226 R$6,118

215.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$820 R$4,094

184.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$506 R$2,525

110.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.92

3.85%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Diadema: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $317 in Diadema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 111% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $40.00 in Diadema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $192 per month, with Diadema 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 Diadema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Diadema is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 111% more on average, 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $317 in Diadema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Diadema – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,484 per month in Mexico City versus $810 in Diadema – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $810 in Diadema versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Diadema but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Diadema the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Diadema 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 Diadema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.