Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Elgin Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Elgin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,753 in Elgin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,825 in Elgin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $3,897 in Elgin.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 16% less than in Elgin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Elgin 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$18.63 £13.85

-29.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$80.7 £60.0

-33.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.59 £4.90

42.94%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$4.03 £3.00

-11.91%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.35 £1.00

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$1.37 £1.02

-18.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$4.86 £3.62

-35.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$5.58 £4.15

-17.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.77 £1.32

-3.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.74 £1.29

56.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.74 £2.04

-30.29%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$4.00 £2.97

-36.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$9.72 £7.23

3.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$9.48 £7.05

-14.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$13.65 £10.15

-14.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.43 £2.55

-13.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.07 £0.80

69.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.02 £1.50

-0.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$3.70 £2.75

-45.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.70 £0.52

202.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.18 £0.87

92.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.61 £0.46

129.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.99 £0.74

14.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$21.26 £15.80

-79.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$11.33 £8.42

37.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$2.98 £2.21

-40.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$3.40 £2.53

5.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$4.66 £3.46

-91.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$127 £94.1

-84.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$5.35 £3.98

-74.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$2.26 £1.68

-87.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$27.01 £20.07

-79.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.99 £1.48

-34.67%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$38.1K £28.3K

-50.97%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$39.4K £29.3K

-41.30%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$205 £153

-80.11%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$17.43 £12.96

53.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$40.62 £30.19

-26.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$31.25 £23.23

66.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$12.16 £9.04

120.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$10.74 £7.98

-41.34%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$1,157 £860

-62.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$18.1K £13.5K

-42.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$36.35 £27.02

55.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$26.70 £19.84

66.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$95.0 £70.6

8.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$106 £78.8

-0.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$934 £694

9.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$622 £462

1.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,848 £1,374

15.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$1,216 £904

2.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,618 £1,946

49.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$2,192 £1,630

-5.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,995 £1,483

-44.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.32

113.16%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Elgin: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $934 in Elgin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elgin pays 79% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $81.0 in Elgin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $293 per month, with Mexico City 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 Elgin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Elgin differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,753 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Elgin earns 79% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $934 in Elgin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 560% less than in Elgin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $1,157 in Elgin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,753 in Elgin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Elgin. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Elgin 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 19% less than in Elgin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.