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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $726 in El Viejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,160 in El Viejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,594 in El Viejo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 103% more expensive than in El Viejo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, El Viejo is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$5.02 NIO 184

161.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$35.48 NIO 1,300

50.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$7.11 NIO 260

31.22%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$2.39 NIO 87.4

54.81%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$0.83 NIO 30.51

92.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.74 NIO 27.27

51.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.33 NIO 48.84

136.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

$1.95 NIO 71.4

148.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$1.27 NIO 46.55

29.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$2.48 NIO 90.8

9.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$1.81 NIO 66.1

5.52%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$2.23 NIO 81.8

16.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$11.27 NIO 413

-12.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.81 NIO 249

23.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$7.88 NIO 288

51.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$3.84 NIO 141

-23.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$0.84 NIO 30.92

107.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$1.75 NIO 64.1

16.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$2.22 NIO 81.2

-7.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$3.92 NIO 144

-45.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$2.20 NIO 80.5

2.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$1.02 NIO 37.32

36.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$1.06 NIO 38.72

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$2.62 NIO 95.9

61.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$14.56 NIO 533

20.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$1.47 NIO 53.8

16.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$2.25 NIO 82.5

61.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$1.46 NIO 53.6

-5.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

$6.87 NIO 252

-23.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$1.29 NIO 47.41

5.43%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$23.2K NIO 850.4K

-17.73%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$26.4K NIO 967.2K

-10.61%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$97.5 NIO 3,570

-58.42%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$16.96 NIO 621

61.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$37.93 NIO 1,389

-19.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$7.81 NIO 286

-20.74%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$126 NIO 4,615

237.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$6,073 NIO 222.4K

76.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$76.3 NIO 2,793

-23.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$73.4 NIO 2,690

-39.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$133 NIO 4,861

-22.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$108 NIO 3,937

1.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.25

10.63%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for El Viejo: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $35.00 in El Viejo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $261 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 103% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,088 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 $425 in Mexico City versus $126 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 $35.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $726 in El Viejo versus $1,472 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 103% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.