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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $2,032 in Djibouti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $3,221 in Djibouti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $4,410 in Djibouti.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 19% less than in Djibouti, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 20% above, Djibouti 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$9.93 DJF 1,770

21.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$80.8 DJF 14.4K

-35.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$12.64 DJF 2,251

-13.77%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$3.64 DJF 648

11.26%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$1.85 DJF 330

-7.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$1.72 DJF 306

-19.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$6.97 DJF 1,241

-50.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$8.57 DJF 1,526

-32.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$2.49 DJF 444

-25.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$9.46 DJF 1,685

-65.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$3.68 DJF 655

-43.21%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$6.83 DJF 1,217

-57.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$9.73 DJF 1,733

28.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$18.39 DJF 3,276

-45.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$12.26 DJF 2,184

29.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$3.77 DJF 672

-12.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$1.20 DJF 215

77.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$2.84 DJF 506

-22.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$1.60 DJF 286

53.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$1.18 DJF 211

85.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$1.38 DJF 247

37.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$5.49 DJF 977

-70.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$0.53 DJF 95.1

154.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$2.74 DJF 488

98.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$21.30 DJF 3,794

-17.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$2.32 DJF 412

-10.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$3.63 DJF 647

30.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$0.27 DJF 47.74

25.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$21.17 DJF 3,771

1.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$2.88 DJF 513

-29.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$5.72 DJF 1,019

-89.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$28.65 DJF 5,103

-79.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.71 DJF 305

-5.26%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$34.0K DJF 6.1M

-32.99%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$33.0K DJF 5.9M

-19.20%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$524 DJF 93.4K

-87.55%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$31.65 DJF 5,638

-5.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$59.9 DJF 10.7K

-38.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$85.6 DJF 15.3K

-28.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$28.24 DJF 5,030

-5.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$12.47 DJF 2,222

-45.07%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$335 DJF 59.6K

35.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$8,636 DJF 1.5M

54.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$42.62 DJF 7,592

75.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$19.63 DJF 3,496

181.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$123 DJF 21.8K

-7.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$56.9 DJF 10.1K

115.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$673 DJF 119.8K

68.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$473 DJF 84.3K

50.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$1,002 DJF 178.6K

156.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$1,245 DJF 221.7K

5.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$12.7K DJF 2.3M

-68.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$6,045 DJF 1.1M

-65.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$2,814 DJF 501.2K

-62.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

13.07

-13.54%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Djibouti: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $673 in Djibouti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Djibouti pays 169% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $81.0 in Djibouti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $461 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 23% 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 169% 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $673 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 2% less than in Djibouti. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $335 in Djibouti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $2,032 in Djibouti, a $3,000 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 $1,646 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 23% less than in Djibouti. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.