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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,029 in Djibouti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $3,289 in Djibouti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $4,549 in Djibouti.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 28% less than in Djibouti, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, Djibouti 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$9.94 DJF 1,767

31.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$81.1 DJF 14.4K

-33.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$12.72 DJF 2,261

-23.90%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.59 DJF 638

4.18%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.86 DJF 330

-12.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$1.86 DJF 331

-37.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$5.80 DJF 1,031

-44.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$8.30 DJF 1,476

-42.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$2.49 DJF 443

-33.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$9.28 DJF 1,649

-70.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$3.75 DJF 666

-50.13%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$6.75 DJF 1,199

-62.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$9.45 DJF 1,679

7.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$18.52 DJF 3,292

-55.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$12.15 DJF 2,160

-2.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$3.82 DJF 679

-21.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.20 DJF 214

50.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.79 DJF 496

-28.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.58 DJF 282

26.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.19 DJF 211

74.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.34 DJF 239

69.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$5.58 DJF 993

-73.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.58 DJF 103

86.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.75 DJF 489

58.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$21.35 DJF 3,795

-20.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$2.39 DJF 424

-27.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$3.56 DJF 633

0.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.27 DJF 47.83

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$21.35 DJF 3,794

-12.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$2.85 DJF 506

-53.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$5.63 DJF 1,000

-95.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$28.45 DJF 5,057

-81.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.74 DJF 309

-22.99%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$34.3K DJF 6.1M

-43.37%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$33.4K DJF 5.9M

-28.74%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$530 DJF 94.2K

-92.32%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$31.27 DJF 5,558

-14.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$59.7 DJF 10.6K

-48.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$86.9 DJF 15.4K

-39.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$23.66 DJF 4,206

12.64%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$8.24 DJF 1,465

-21.00%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$331 DJF 58.9K

29.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$8,861 DJF 1.6M

18.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$41.62 DJF 7,398

37.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$19.38 DJF 3,445

134.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$124 DJF 22.0K

-16.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$55.9 DJF 9,941

92.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$1,439 DJF 255.8K

-30.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$474 DJF 84.3K

31.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$989 DJF 175.7K

113.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$1,512 DJF 268.8K

-19.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$12.8K DJF 2.3M

-69.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$6,197 DJF 1.1M

-67.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$2,881 DJF 512.1K

-63.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.6

18.13%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Djibouti: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $1,439 in Djibouti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Djibouti pays 178% 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 $81.0 in Djibouti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $460 per month, with Mexico City 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 Djibouti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Djibouti. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 178% lower in Djibouti. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $1,439 in Djibouti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 14% less than in Djibouti. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $331 in Djibouti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,029 in Djibouti, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Djibouti. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,456 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Djibouti. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.