Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Dongguan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dongguan: $815 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Dongguan
Learn more

Dongguan Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Dongguan

🇨🇳 China

$815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Dongguan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Dongguan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $815 in Dongguan.

Mexico City $1,548
Dongguan $815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,295 in Dongguan.

Mexico City $2,436
Dongguan $1,295

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $1,775 in Dongguan.

Mexico City $3,323
Dongguan $1,775

Living in Mexico City is roughly 90% more expensive than in Dongguan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Dongguan is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$2.64 ¥17.64

317.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$22.83 ¥153

113.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$5.20 ¥34.75

109.62%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$2.61 ¥17.44

41.00%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$0.48 ¥3.18

239.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.31 ¥2.09

303.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$0.88 ¥5.90

269.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$2.23 ¥14.88

147.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.59 ¥10.61

6.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.63 ¥10.93

85.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$0.97 ¥6.50

97.94%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$1.59 ¥10.66

71.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$21.14 ¥141

-44.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$3.28 ¥21.96

190.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$14.27 ¥95.4

0.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.25 ¥15.03

34.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.56 ¥10.45

21.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$1.85 ¥12.39

7.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$1.49 ¥9.98

46.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$1.04 ¥6.95

84.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$1.24 ¥8.30

50.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$0.56 ¥3.75

157.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.58 ¥3.90

118.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$4.45 ¥29.79

17.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$12.18 ¥81.5

32.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$0.92 ¥6.17

106.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$1.76 ¥11.74

139.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.35 ¥2.37

-2.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$22.38 ¥150

-12.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$1.18 ¥7.86

69.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$0.41 ¥2.75

26.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$4.44 ¥29.68

20.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.31 ¥8.77

16.03%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$19.3K ¥129.0K

14.40%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$17.6K ¥117.9K

38.95%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$63.1 ¥422

-3.14%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$9.11 ¥60.9

213.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$12.96 ¥86.7

165.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$51.6 ¥345

9.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$16.09 ¥108

54.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$7.53 ¥50.3

-11.55%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$531 ¥3,550

-19.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$24.3K ¥162.8K

-52.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$46.78 ¥313

44.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$40.30 ¥269

28.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$72.5 ¥485

46.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$39.04 ¥261

188.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$380 ¥2,538

169.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$219 ¥1,461

199.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$662 ¥4,423

248.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$431 ¥2,884

187.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$5,650 ¥37.8K

-36.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$3,075 ¥20.6K

-37.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$856 ¥5,725

12.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.35

237.31%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Dongguan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Dongguan

$219 26.8% 66.6% $436

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Dongguan

$248 30.4% 22.1% $70

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Dongguan

$80 9.8% 60.8% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Dongguan

$89 11% 41.3% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Dongguan

$85 10.5% 31.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Dongguan

$67 8.2% 4.3% $3

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Dongguan

$27 3.3% 5.5% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $380 in Dongguan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 13% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $23.00 in Dongguan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $248 per month, with Dongguan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇳 Dongguan

🕒 Local time

10:12 10:12 AM

00:12 12:12 AM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

8,254,100

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Dongguan 14,100 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Dongguan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, eating out, and clothing. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $380 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 $427 in Mexico City versus $531 in Dongguan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $815 in Dongguan versus $1,548 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 90% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.