Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and El Congo

For one person, living is cheaper in El Congo: $575 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

El Congo

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$575

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in El Congo

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

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Mexico City vs $575 in El Congo, rent included.

Mexico City $1,548
El Congo $575

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Mexico City vs $600 in El Congo, rent included.

Mexico City $2,436
El Congo $600

A family of three spends $3,323 per month in Mexico City vs $625 in El Congo, rent included.

Mexico City $3,323
El Congo $625

Mexico City costs about 169% more than El Congo.

Mexico City sits 14% above the global median, while El Congo is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$206

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$911

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$204

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.9

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

$1.63 MX$30.57

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.36

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$104

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.90

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$56.5

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.99

Eggs

$2.73 MX$51.2

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$220

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$178

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$270

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$56.5

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.46

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$37.17

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.90

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.88

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.94

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.96

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$97.7

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$303

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.48

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$79.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.38

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$37.37

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$100.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.50

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

$22.1K MX$413.2K

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

$24.5K MX$458.7K

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

$61.1 MX$1,143

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

$28.58 MX$535

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$645

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,055

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$466

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$125

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

$427 MX$7,993

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$217.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,269

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$973

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,984

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,106

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$19.2K

$711 $711

44.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.2K

$575 $575

13.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$43.2K

$968 $968

138.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$23.2K

$625 $625

98.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$67.6K

$4,225 $4,225

-14.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$36.2K

$1,307 $1,307

48.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$18.0K

$942 $942

2.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.72

97.55%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for El Congo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

El Congo

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

El Congo

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

El Congo

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

El Congo

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

El Congo

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

El Congo

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

El Congo

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,025 in Mexico City versus $711 in El Congo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇸🇻 El Congo

🕒 Local time

02:36 2:36 AM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

8,905

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 18.72 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City El Congo 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
El Congo

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 El Congo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 169% more than El Congo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Mexico City and $863 in El Congo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Congo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $711 there versus $1,025 in Mexico City.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in El Congo, where all-in costs run around $575, than in Mexico City at $1,548. In El Congo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $575 in El Congo to $1,548 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.