Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ecatepec

For one person, living is cheaper in Ecatepec: $941 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Ecatepec
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Ecatepec Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Ecatepec

🇲🇽 Mexico

$941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $941 in Ecatepec, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Ecatepec $941

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $1,634 in Ecatepec, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Ecatepec $1,634

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $2,327 in Ecatepec, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Ecatepec $2,327

Mexico City costs about 71% more than Ecatepec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Ecatepec is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$10.59 MX$199

0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$906

$48.51 MX$909

-0.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$9.63 MX$180

7.48%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.2

$3.48 MX$65.2

6.03%

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

$1.67 MX$31.23

$1.57 MX$29.34

6.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.71

$1.02 MX$19.14

24.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.5

$5.44 MX$102

-2.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.32

$1.78 MX$33.35

-3.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.0

$2.70 MX$50.5

12.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

$1.97 MX$36.90

-1.52%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.1

$2.70 MX$50.5

7.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$8.95 MX$168

22.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

$9.01 MX$169

2.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$283

$13.19 MX$247

14.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.1

$3.18 MX$59.7

-4.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

$1.59 MX$29.76

22.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.95

$1.97 MX$37.01

3.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.38

$1.90 MX$35.62

21.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.14

$1.81 MX$33.92

12.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.73

$1.72 MX$32.21

4.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.72

$1.45 MX$27.24

2.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.75

$1.22 MX$22.89

4.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$4.52 MX$84.8

17.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

$16.00 MX$300

0.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.16

$1.94 MX$36.40

2.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.7

$3.84 MX$71.9

10.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.72

$0.68 MX$12.70

-54.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$370

$30.56 MX$573

-35.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.44

$1.92 MX$36.05

-4.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.00

$0.49 MX$9.15

8.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.2

$5.51 MX$103

-3.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.31

$1.43 MX$26.80

5.59%

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

$21.8K MX$407.7K

$21.3K MX$399.4K

2.06%

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

$24.0K MX$449.5K

$23.2K MX$434.2K

3.51%

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

$63.0 MX$1,180

$56.3 MX$1,054

11.92%

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

$27.39 MX$513

$26.84 MX$503

2.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$668

$23.91 MX$448

49.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,105

$25.75 MX$483

128.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$443

$10.64 MX$199

122.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$6.48 MX$121

-1.23%

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

$432 MX$8,088

$265 MX$4,969

62.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.1K

$4,979 MX$93.3K

129.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,278

$58.2 MX$1,090

17.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$996

$44.37 MX$831

19.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,020

$99.2 MX$1,859

8.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,198

$96.3 MX$1,804

21.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$239 MX$4,479

365.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$134 MX$2,514

429.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.5K

$665 MX$12.5K

289.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

$430 MX$8,060

226.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.0K

$768 MX$14.4K

372.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.0K

$751 MX$14.1K

184.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

$548 MX$10.3K

72.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ecatepec: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Ecatepec

$134 14.3% 81.1% $576

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Ecatepec

$296 31.5% 7.2% $23

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Ecatepec

$193 20.5% 3% $6

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Ecatepec

$134 14.3% 14% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Ecatepec

$107 11.4% 15.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Ecatepec

$39 4.1% 46% $33

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Ecatepec

$38 4% 47.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $239 in Ecatepec. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 73% higher in Mexico City. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $49 in Ecatepec. Groceries tell a different story – $320 in Mexico City vs $296 in Ecatepec – so Ecatepec wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇽 Ecatepec

🕒 Local time

17:05 5:05 PM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,645,352

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Ecatepec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City, $941 in Ecatepec – Ecatepec comes out roughly 41% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $1,411 in Ecatepec. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ecatepec, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $239 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Public transport costs about 35% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Ecatepec, where all-in costs run around $941, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Ecatepec it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ecatepec – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ecatepec. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.