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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,460 in El Ejido.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $2,172 in El Ejido.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,883 in El Ejido.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 1% less than in El Ejido, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 8% above, El Ejido 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$17.09 €14.82

-24.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$919

$59.0 €51.2

-10.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$165

$10.51 €9.12

-10.28%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$62.4

$2.09 €1.81

70.81%

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

$1.61 MX$28.04

$1.19 €1.03

35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$20.16

$1.53 €1.33

-24.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$2.83 €2.45

11.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$84.9

$3.37 €2.92

44.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.69

$1.27 €1.10

33.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$46.03

$1.73 €1.50

52.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.25

$1.49 €1.29

27.52%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.39

$2.92 €2.53

-13.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$11.83 €10.26

-14.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$9.18 €7.96

-9.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$202

$14.44 €12.52

-19.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.9

$2.47 €2.14

22.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.87

$1.59 €1.38

7.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.79

$1.38 €1.20

48.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.98

$2.36 €2.05

-12.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$36.06

$1.69 €1.46

21.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.91

$1.60 €1.38

35.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.51

$1.08 €0.94

29.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.60

$0.71 €0.62

57.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$75.0

$5.91 €5.13

-27.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$269

$5.09 €4.41

202.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$29.25

$1.18 €1.02

41.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$64.4

$1.89 €1.64

95.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$1.72 €1.49

-77.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$333

$34.71 €30.10

-45.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.12

$1.65 €1.43

-16.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$1.22 €1.06

-77.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.6

$17.51 €15.19

-69.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.37

$1.79 €1.55

-28.49%

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

$19.0K MX$331.6K

$37.9K €32.8K

-49.89%

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

$23.5K MX$409.8K

$29.8K €25.9K

-21.34%

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

$41.02 MX$717

$80.7 €70.0

-49.14%

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

$26.92 MX$470

$20.42 €17.71

31.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$519

$31.28 €27.13

-5.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$914

$47.68 €41.35

9.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$458

$14.97 €12.98

75.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$108

$9.66 €8.38

-36.02%

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

$427 MX$7,461

$701 €608

-39.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.9K

$10.8K €9,356

-0.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$23.55 €20.42

141.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$783

$31.46 €27.29

42.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,826

$28.76 €24.94

263.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,851

$40.66 €35.26

160.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.4K

$837 €726

18.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.9K

$703 €609

-11.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$37.1K

$1,315 €1,140

61.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.9K

$992 €860

26.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.2K

$3,809 €3,303

2.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.6K

$2,309 €2,002

-9.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.3K

$1,477 €1,281

-25.03%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for El Ejido: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $837 in El Ejido. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

El Ejido pays 33% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $59.0 in El Ejido. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $253, 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 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, El Ejido earns 33% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $837 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 $53.0 versus $59.0 in El Ejido. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,447 per month in Mexico City versus $1,460 in El Ejido – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,460 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 1% less than in El Ejido. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.