Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Escazu

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $1,934 in Escazu, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
Learn more

Escazu Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Escazu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Escazu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $1,934 in Escazu.

Mexico City $1,674
Escazu $1,934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $2,959 in Escazu.

Mexico City $2,606
Escazu $2,959

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $3,984 in Escazu.

Mexico City $3,537
Escazu $3,984

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 13% less than in Escazu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 24% above, Escazu 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$197

$12.06 ₡5,423

-12.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$967

$61.8 ₡27.8K

-15.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$200

$11.76 ₡5,287

-8.76%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.7

$4.49 ₡2,020

-15.37%

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

$1.61 MX$30.01

$2.66 ₡1,195

-39.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.55

$1.91 ₡860

-36.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.1

$3.35 ₡1,504

-5.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$101

$4.34 ₡1,952

25.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$31.96

$2.45 ₡1,100

-29.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.2

$3.09 ₡1,389

-3.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.84

$2.50 ₡1,124

-22.80%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.6

$3.45 ₡1,550

-19.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$217

$10.68 ₡4,803

9.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$176

$10.28 ₡4,621

-7.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$286

$14.14 ₡6,358

8.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$57.8

$5.16 ₡2,322

-39.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.49

$1.57 ₡704

24.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$36.88

$3.23 ₡1,452

-38.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.46

$3.00 ₡1,350

-22.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.66

$3.79 ₡1,702

-46.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.95

$3.73 ₡1,675

-51.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.74

$0.99 ₡446

55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.42

$1.68 ₡754

-22.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$99.6

$5.48 ₡2,462

-2.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$301

$18.92 ₡8,505

-14.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.46

$1.68 ₡754

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.0

$2.77 ₡1,245

57.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.67

$1.05 ₡471

-71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.68

$2.05 ₡922

-6.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.80

$1.86 ₡834

-74.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$101

$8.09 ₡3,636

-33.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.61

$1.48 ₡664

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

$21.4K MX$397.7K

$28.0K ₡12.6M

-23.54%

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

$23.8K MX$442.1K

$36.6K ₡16.4M

-35.05%

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

$62.0 MX$1,154

$94.5 ₡42.5K

-34.42%

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

$28.47 MX$530

$29.94 ₡13.5K

-4.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$635

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-41.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,087

$105 ₡47.3K

-44.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$456

$9.81 ₡4,411

149.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$123

$7.66 ₡3,445

-13.97%

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

$434 MX$8,081

$458 ₡206.0K

-5.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$261.2K

$17.2K ₡7.7M

-18.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,272

$71.8 ₡32.3K

-4.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,020

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,063

$128 ₡57.3K

-13.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,159

$133 ₡59.6K

-12.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$21.9K

$866 ₡389.1K

36.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.3K

$848 ₡381.2K

-9.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$47.8K

$1,929 ₡867.0K

33.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.4K

$1,501 ₡674.7K

-5.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$66.7K

$1,404 ₡630.9K

155.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.4K

$969 ₡435.8K

112.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.7K

$1,792 ₡805.4K

-44.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

8.62

31.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Escazu: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Escazu

$848 43.9% 10% $77

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Escazu

$363 18.8% 12.2% $39

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Escazu

$229 11.9% 14.4% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Escazu

$174 9% 10.5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Escazu

$183 9.5% 46.9% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Escazu

$121 6.2% 68.5% $49

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Escazu

$16 * 0.8% 37.9% $9.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $866 in Escazu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Escazu pays 79% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $62 in Escazu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $363 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇷 Escazu

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

11,984

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.79 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.86 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Escazu 1,930 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Escazu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Escazu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is about 13% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Mexico City. 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: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $866 in Escazu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Escazu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,674 per month in Mexico City versus $1,934 in Escazu – Mexico City is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mexico City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value at $1,674 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

It comes down to priorities – Mexico City wins on affordability, Escazu on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.