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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,288 in Fajardo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $2,519 in Fajardo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $3,750 in Fajardo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 30% more expensive than in Fajardo, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Fajardo is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$9.96 $9.96

21.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$916

$83.9 $83.9

-35.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$9.12 $9.12

21.60%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.6

$3.62 $3.62

13.26%

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

$1.68 MX$28.57

$1.79 $1.79

-6.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.58

$1.51 $1.51

-7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.6

$2.92 $2.92

14.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.9

$5.10 $5.10

15.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.45

$2.28 $2.28

-18.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.9

$3.08 $3.08

2.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.18

$2.41 $2.41

-14.11%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.74

$5.65 $5.65

-48.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$5.11 $5.11

146.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$9.39 $9.39

7.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$13.18 $13.18

22.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.6

$4.99 $4.99

-32.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.31

$2.55 $2.55

-18.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.02

$4.73 $4.73

-55.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$41.01

$4.72 $4.72

-48.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.17

$3.72 $3.72

-42.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.07

$3.87 $3.87

-48.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$3.40 $3.40

-54.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.19

$1.66 $1.66

-18.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$98.0

$11.58 $11.58

-50.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$9.70 $9.70

82.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.16

$2.96 $2.96

-30.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.4

$4.04 $4.04

14.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$360

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.89

$2.45 $2.45

-16.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.80

$1.51 $1.51

-61.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$41.72 $41.72

-85.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.38

$0.92 $0.92

68.48%

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

$22.9K MX$388.6K

$40.2K $40.2K

-43.11%

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

$27.2K MX$462.7K

$28.4K $28.4K

-4.21%

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

$67.4 MX$1,145

$322 $322

-79.09%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$70.4 $70.4

-56.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$633

$69.2 $69.2

-46.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,044

$99.6 $99.6

-38.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$461

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$10.58 $10.58

-32.80%

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

$456 MX$7,750

$812 $812

-43.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.6K

$12.5K $12.5K

9.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,260

$55.1 $55.1

34.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$969

$62.5 $62.5

-8.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,961

$107 $107

7.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,064

$112 $112

8.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$1,005 $1,005

14.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$992 $992

30.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$68.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.55

72.52%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Fajardo: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $1,005 in Fajardo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $84.0 in Fajardo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $365 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 Fajardo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fajardo wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fajardo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,515 in Mexico City and $1,932 in Fajardo 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $1,005 in Fajardo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,677 per month in Mexico City versus $1,288 in Fajardo – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,288 in Fajardo versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fajardo but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Fajardo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fajardo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,288 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fajardo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Fajardo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.