Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and El Ejido Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and El Ejido

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $1,484 in El Ejido.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $2,203 in El Ejido.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $2,921 in El Ejido.

Monthly costs are close between Mexico City and El Ejido; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, El Ejido 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$230

$17.34 €15.24

-24.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$938

$57.6 €50.6

-7.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$167

$10.51 €9.24

-9.13%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$65.2

$2.09 €1.83

77.99%

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

$1.57 MX$27.45

$1.14 €1.00

37.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.25

$1.47 €1.30

-21.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.8

$2.81 €2.47

13.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$81.1

$3.55 €3.12

30.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.87

$1.33 €1.17

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.83

$1.75 €1.54

49.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.08

$1.55 €1.37

21.94%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.46

$2.86 €2.52

-9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$174

$11.69 €10.27

-15.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$144

$9.32 €8.19

-11.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$206

$14.33 €12.60

-17.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.5

$2.46 €2.17

21.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.52

$1.66 €1.46

8.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.32

$1.42 €1.25

45.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.45

$2.27 €2.00

-13.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.29

$1.66 €1.46

24.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.08

$1.63 €1.43

33.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.57

$1.09 €0.96

28.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.82

$0.65 €0.57

64.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$72.1

$6.06 €5.33

-32.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$305

$4.65 €4.09

274.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.35

$1.15 €1.01

46.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.9

$1.89 €1.66

93.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.66

$1.67 €1.46

-77.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$328

$33.98 €29.86

-44.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.28

$1.66 €1.46

-19.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.31

$1.26 €1.11

-76.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$96.6

$17.38 €15.27

-68.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.75 €1.54

-25.14%

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

$19.2K MX$335.7K

$38.3K €33.6K

-49.93%

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

$23.7K MX$415.9K

$30.4K €26.7K

-21.88%

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

$41.14 MX$721

$79.6 €70.0

-48.34%

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

$27.74 MX$486

$20.54 €18.05

35.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$528

$32.10 €28.21

-6.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$941

$48.56 €42.67

10.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$455

$14.97 €13.16

73.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$114

$9.74 €8.56

-33.37%

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

$437 MX$7,647

$726 €638

-39.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.1K

$10.5K €9,250

-0.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,022

$22.76 €20.00

156.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$803

$30.73 €27.00

49.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,777

$28.84 €25.34

251.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,866

$40.23 €35.35

164.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.6K

$868 €763

15.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.1K

$681 €598

-6.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.6K

$1,302 €1,144

65.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.8K

$986 €866

26.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.6K

$3,481 €3,058

10.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.5K

$1,978 €1,738

5.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.8K

$1,485 €1,305

-27.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.58

216.76%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Last update for El Ejido: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $868 in El Ejido. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

El Ejido pays 39% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $58.0 in El Ejido. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $252, with El Ejido cheaper for home cooking.

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 Ejido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in El Ejido. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $868 in El Ejido. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $437 in Mexico City versus $726 in El Ejido. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $58.0 in El Ejido. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,481 in Mexico City versus $1,484 in El Ejido, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in El Ejido. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in El Ejido, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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

It comes down to priorities – Mexico City wins on affordability, El Ejido on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.