Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Dorado

For one person, living is cheaper in Dorado: $1,270 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mexico City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Mexico City, Mexico
Dorado, Puerto Rico
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,674
/mo nomad
Dorado
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,270
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Dorado actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $1,270 in Dorado.

  • Mexico City $1,674
  • Dorado $1,270

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $2,010 in Dorado.

  • Mexico City $2,606
  • Dorado $2,010

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $2,749 in Dorado.

  • Mexico City $3,537
  • Dorado $2,749

Living in Mexico City is roughly 32% more expensive than in Dorado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, Dorado is 6% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Dorado
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.59 MX$197
$18.77 $18.77
-43.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.0 MX$967
$83.5 $83.5
-37.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.73 MX$200
$8.96 $8.96
19.75%
Cappuccino
$3.80 MX$70.7
$3.62 $3.62
4.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 MX$30.01
$1.92 $1.92
-16.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.21 MX$22.55
$1.51 $1.51
-19.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 MX$59.1
$2.95 $2.95
7.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.44 MX$101
$5.09 $5.09
6.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Dorado
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$31.96
$2.21 $2.21
-22.17%
White Bread (500g)
$2.97 MX$55.2
$3.55 $3.55
-16.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.93 MX$35.84
$2.39 $2.39
-19.25%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$51.6
$7.13 $7.13
-61.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.67 MX$217
$12.41 $12.41
-5.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.48 MX$176
$9.87 $9.87
-3.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.37 MX$286
$13.18 $13.18
16.62%
Apples (1kg)
$3.10 MX$57.8
$4.92 $4.92
-36.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 MX$36.49
$2.55 $2.55
-23.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 MX$36.88
$4.99 $4.99
-60.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.34 MX$43.46
$4.88 $4.88
-52.05%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.66
$3.89 $3.89
-48.07%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.95
$3.94 $3.94
-53.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 MX$28.74
$3.42 $3.42
-54.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 MX$24.42
$1.59 $1.59
-17.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.35 MX$99.6
$12.11 $12.11
-55.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.19 MX$301
$15.75 $15.75
2.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 MX$36.46
$3.07 $3.07
-36.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 MX$81.0
$4.05 $4.05
7.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Dorado
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.30 MX$5.67
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.49 MX$363
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.92 MX$35.68
$2.44 $2.44
-21.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 MX$8.80
$1.52 $1.52
-69.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 MX$101
$42.32 $42.32
-87.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 MX$27.61
$1.06 $1.06
39.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K MX$397.7K
$35.0K $35.0K
-39.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K MX$442.1K
$28.3K $28.3K
-16.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Dorado
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.0 MX$1,154
$318 $318
-80.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.47 MX$530
$27.82 $27.82
2.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.11 MX$635
$69.6 $69.6
-50.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Dorado
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.4 MX$1,087
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.50 MX$456
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.59 MX$123
$10.66 $10.66
-38.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Dorado
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$434 MX$8,081
$824 $824
-47.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.0K MX$261.2K
$6,469 $6,469
116.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Dorado
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.4 MX$1,272
$56.6 $56.6
20.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.8 MX$1,020
$61.1 $61.1
-10.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 MX$2,063
$107 $107
3.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 MX$2,159
$112 $112
3.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Dorado
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,179 MX$21.9K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$771 MX$14.3K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,570 MX$47.8K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,420 MX$26.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,586 MX$66.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,064 MX$38.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Dorado
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,003 MX$18.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
6.55
73.28%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Dorado: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$771
Dorado
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$324
Dorado
$413 27.8% $90
Eating Out
Mexico City
$201
Dorado
$259 29.2% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$158
Dorado
$151 3.9% $6.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$125
Dorado
$415 233% $291
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Dorado
$21 * 70.2% $50
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Dorado
$10 * 59.9% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $84 in Dorado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $413 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇵🇷 Dorado
🕒 Local time
21:04 9:04 PM
23:04 11:04 PM
2 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
12,172
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Dorado 3,450 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Dorado

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 Dorado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dorado cheaper than Mexico City?
Dorado is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $2,510 in Mexico City and $1,906 in Dorado to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $434 in Mexico City versus $824 in Dorado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Mexico City or in Dorado?
Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $52 versus $84 in Dorado. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Mexico City or in Dorado?
At $1,270 in Dorado versus $1,674 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dorado but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Dorado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Mexico City or in Dorado?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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