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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $787 in El Viejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,230 in El Viejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,672 in El Viejo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 113% more expensive than in El Viejo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, El Viejo is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$10.08 NIO 369

20.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$37.61 NIO 1,377

43.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$7.65 NIO 280

44.97%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.59 NIO 94.7

58.30%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.88 NIO 32.11

90.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.67 NIO 24.54

107.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$1.41 NIO 51.8

136.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.01 NIO 73.8

192.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.28 NIO 46.77

44.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$2.38 NIO 87.3

33.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.73 NIO 63.3

19.65%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.31 NIO 84.5

26.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$11.63 NIO 426

8.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$6.57 NIO 241

53.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$7.25 NIO 265

121.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$3.74 NIO 137

-9.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$0.63 NIO 22.99

230.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.82 NIO 66.6

16.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$2.29 NIO 83.8

5.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$3.83 NIO 140

-44.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$2.18 NIO 79.7

-7.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.04 NIO 37.94

49.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$1.08 NIO 39.39

25.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$2.59 NIO 94.8

122.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$14.49 NIO 531

22.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.43 NIO 52.4

44.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.34 NIO 85.8

97.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.66 NIO 60.8

23.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$1.60 NIO 58.7

-63.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$6.86 NIO 251

-11.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.30 NIO 47.64

19.23%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$22.7K NIO 830.4K

0.89%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$26.2K NIO 960.7K

3.82%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$120 NIO 4,409

-44.01%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$16.95 NIO 621

80.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$37.01 NIO 1,355

0.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$8.38 NIO 307

-15.16%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$234 NIO 8,563

95.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$6,014 NIO 220.3K

127.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$70.5 NIO 2,581

5.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$72.2 NIO 2,646

-21.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$132 NIO 4,820

-12.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$107 NIO 3,927

13.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.25

10.24%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for El Viejo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in El Viejo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $257 per month, with El Viejo cheaper across the board.

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 Viejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Viejo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 113% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,515 in Mexico City and $1,181 in El Viejo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $234 in El Viejo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in El Viejo – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $787 in El Viejo versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in El Viejo but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes El Viejo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Mexico City and El Viejo 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 El Viejo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.