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: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $1,488 in El Ejido.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $2,179 in El Ejido.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $2,869 in El Ejido.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 2% less than in El Ejido, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, El Ejido 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$17.53 €14.95

-24.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$57.2 €48.79

-5.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$10.52 €8.97

-10.46%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.07 €1.77

73.43%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.19 €1.01

36.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$1.49 €1.27

-24.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$2.85 €2.43

14.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$3.38 €2.88

37.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.31 €1.12

25.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$1.77 €1.51

49.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.56 €1.33

25.64%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.98 €2.55

-14.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$11.61 €9.90

-14.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$9.49 €8.09

-11.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$14.81 €12.63

-20.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$2.50 €2.13

14.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.61 €1.37

7.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$1.45 €1.23

37.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$2.30 €1.96

-10.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.64 €1.40

25.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$1.67 €1.43

36.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.11 €0.95

30.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.67 €0.57

62.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$6.20 €5.29

-31.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$5.43 €4.63

170.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$1.14 €0.98

54.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$1.83 €1.56

95.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$1.64 €1.40

-76.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

$34.33 €29.29

-45.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$1.72 €1.47

-19.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$1.27 €1.09

-76.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$17.05 €14.54

-68.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.80 €1.54

-25.56%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$39.3K €33.5K

-52.03%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$30.2K €25.7K

-23.11%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$80.2 €68.4

-49.73%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$20.14 €17.18

34.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$32.35 €27.59

-8.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$48.04 €40.98

9.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$15.32 €13.07

70.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$9.70 €8.27

-36.29%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$722 €616

-39.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$10.6K €9,005

1.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$23.56 €20.10

142.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$30.91 €26.37

45.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$29.32 €25.01

252.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$39.79 €33.94

173.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$854 €729

17.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$683 €582

-7.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$1,323 €1,129

61.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$1,005 €857

24.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$3,752 €3,200

-0.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$2,677 €2,283

-11.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

$1,504 €1,283

-28.23%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for El Ejido: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $854 in El Ejido. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

El Ejido pays 39% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $57 in El Ejido. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $256, 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

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, El Ejido earns 39% less. 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $854 in El Ejido. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $57.0 in El Ejido. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,466 per month in Mexico City versus $1,488 in El Ejido – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,466 in Mexico City versus $1,488 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in El Ejido. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.