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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,016 in Djibouti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $3,268 in Djibouti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $4,520 in Djibouti.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 27% less than in Djibouti, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Djibouti 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$9.81 DJF 1,744

34.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$82.3 DJF 14.6K

-34.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$12.80 DJF 2,275

-26.41%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.59 DJF 638

-1.11%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.92 DJF 340

-15.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$1.92 DJF 341

-42.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$5.47 DJF 973

-42.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$8.54 DJF 1,519

-45.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$2.49 DJF 443

-31.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$9.21 DJF 1,637

-70.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$3.83 DJF 681

-50.13%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$7.04 DJF 1,252

-63.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$9.60 DJF 1,706

4.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$18.08 DJF 3,214

-55.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$12.26 DJF 2,179

-5.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$3.71 DJF 660

-19.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.19 DJF 212

52.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$2.89 DJF 514

-30.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.64 DJF 291

23.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.20 DJF 213

76.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.36 DJF 242

66.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$5.67 DJF 1,009

-75.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.55 DJF 97.4

105.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$2.69 DJF 478

58.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$20.69 DJF 3,678

-24.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.37 DJF 421

-25.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$3.63 DJF 645

-0.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.29 DJF 51.8

31.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$20.90 DJF 3,715

-8.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$2.78 DJF 495

-50.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$5.45 DJF 968

-94.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$28.01 DJF 4,978

-80.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.69 DJF 301

-23.08%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$33.7K DJF 6.0M

-44.52%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$33.1K DJF 5.9M

-30.04%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$513 DJF 91.1K

-92.03%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$32.11 DJF 5,709

-16.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$58.1 DJF 10.3K

-48.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$85.9 DJF 15.3K

-39.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$23.60 DJF 4,196

13.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$8.52 DJF 1,514

-26.06%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$339 DJF 60.2K

28.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$8,920 DJF 1.6M

16.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$42.83 DJF 7,614

32.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$19.47 DJF 3,462

127.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$122 DJF 21.8K

-15.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$55.5 DJF 9,872

90.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$1,440 DJF 256.1K

-29.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$475 DJF 84.4K

32.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$976 DJF 173.5K

118.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$1,500 DJF 266.6K

-17.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$12.4K DJF 2.2M

-68.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$6,092 DJF 1.1M

-66.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$2,814 DJF 500.2K

-60.37%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Djibouti: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $1,440 in Djibouti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Djibouti pays 152% 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 $82.0 in Djibouti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $458 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 37% 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, Djibouti earns 152% less. 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $1,440 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 9% less than in Djibouti. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $339 in Djibouti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,016 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 $1,467 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 37% less than in Djibouti. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.