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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $521 in Duma.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $821 in Duma.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,122 in Duma.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 180% more expensive than in Duma, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Duma is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$5.90 SYP 717

121.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$27.28 SYP 3,315

97.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$5.34 SYP 648

81.27%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$1.57 SYP 190

138.22%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$1.17 SYP 142

38.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.73 SYP 88.8

58.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$1.65 SYP 200

95.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$2.53 SYP 307

87.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$0.98 SYP 119

68.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$0.59 SYP 71.7

366.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.75 SYP 212

6.86%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$1.92 SYP 233

30.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$3.14 SYP 382

224.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$7.79 SYP 946

5.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$11.49 SYP 1,396

2.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$0.86 SYP 104

250.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.72 SYP 209

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$1.04 SYP 126

92.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$0.95 SYP 116

110.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$0.61 SYP 74.5

240.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$0.66 SYP 80.5

243.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$0.40 SYP 49.11

265.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$0.62 SYP 75.1

74.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$3.08 SYP 374

41.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$8.13 SYP 988

108.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$0.98 SYP 119

76.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$1.85 SYP 225

93.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$0.99 SYP 120

34.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$1.22 SYP 149

-77.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$6.62 SYP 805

-20.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$3.77 SYP 458

-64.46%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$18.6K SYP 2.3M

4.16%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$21.1K SYP 2.6M

12.87%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$103 SYP 12.5K

-60.32%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$8.58 SYP 1,043

213.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$54.8 SYP 6,661

-44.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$3.09 SYP 375

110.68%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$42.91 SYP 5,215

897.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$1,824 SYP 221.7K

475.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$29.66 SYP 3,605

93.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$25.49 SYP 3,098

78.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$44.19 SYP 5,370

135.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$55.6 SYP 6,753

94.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

13.75

-17.53%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Duma: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Duma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $174 per month, with Duma 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 Duma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Duma wins on cost – living expenses run 180% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Duma the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $782 in Duma 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,456 per month in Mexico City versus $521 in Duma – a 180% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $521 in Duma versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Duma but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Duma the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Duma delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $521 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Duma hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Duma are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Duma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 180% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.