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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $752 in Dongguan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,177 in Dongguan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,602 in Dongguan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 94% more expensive than in Dongguan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Dongguan is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$2.47 ¥16.70

429.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$20.71 ¥140

159.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.37 ¥29.54

121.51%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.61 ¥17.65

43.30%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.42 ¥2.83

285.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.27 ¥1.80

329.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.12 ¥7.56

188.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.18 ¥14.74

117.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.68 ¥11.37

-1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.47 ¥9.95

87.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$0.97 ¥6.55

92.78%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.79 ¥12.13

39.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$12.82 ¥86.6

-20.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.01 ¥27.08

105.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$11.29 ¥76.3

4.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.88 ¥12.72

60.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.42 ¥9.57

27.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.82 ¥12.30

9.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.35 ¥9.09

48.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.96 ¥6.46

116.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.45 ¥9.77

56.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.62 ¥4.20

135.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.60 ¥4.02

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.85 ¥19.27

52.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$14.93 ¥101

13.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$0.95 ¥6.40

82.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.90 ¥12.86

88.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.27 ¥1.80

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$21.26 ¥144

-12.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.22 ¥8.27

9.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.34 ¥2.31

-17.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$5.43 ¥36.70

-3.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.18 ¥7.98

13.56%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$21.2K ¥143.2K

-8.41%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$20.7K ¥139.9K

15.10%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$62.5 ¥422

-34.86%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$8.57 ¥57.9

213.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$12.21 ¥82.5

149.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$59.8 ¥404

-11.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$13.34 ¥90.2

99.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$7.11 ¥48.02

-8.44%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$451 ¥3,046

-5.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$20.5K ¥138.6K

-48.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$29.95 ¥202

91.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$24.56 ¥166

85.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$61.6 ¥416

68.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$37.54 ¥254

187.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$355 ¥2,399

182.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$214 ¥1,447

190.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$679 ¥4,585

210.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$412 ¥2,787

195.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$5,717 ¥38.6K

-32.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$3,004 ¥20.3K

-32.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$846 ¥5,716

22.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.04

180.69%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Dongguan: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $355 in Dongguan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 23% 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 $21.00 in Dongguan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $221 per month, with Dongguan 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 Dongguan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dongguan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $355 in Dongguan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $451 in Dongguan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $752 in Dongguan versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dongguan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Dongguan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dongguan 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 Dongguan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.