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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $996 in Foca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,435 in Foca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,873 in Foca.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 68% more expensive than in Foca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Foca is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$205

$5.35 BAM 8.98

126.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$910

$23.42 BAM 39.33

130.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$187

$4.73 BAM 7.94

134.46%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.2

$1.59 BAM 2.67

157.86%

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

$1.68 MX$28.40

$1.38 BAM 2.31

21.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.44

$0.86 BAM 1.44

61.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.2

$1.81 BAM 3.04

83.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.3

$2.39 BAM 4.02

146.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.26

$1.22 BAM 2.04

51.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.5

$1.14 BAM 1.92

178.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$1.63 BAM 2.74

26.99%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.44

$2.08 BAM 3.49

40.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$213

$6.99 BAM 11.74

80.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$6.64 BAM 11.15

52.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$272

$10.55 BAM 17.72

52.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.2

$0.86 BAM 1.44

294.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.09

$1.74 BAM 2.93

19.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.80

$2.31 BAM 3.89

-8.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.76

$1.76 BAM 2.95

36.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$1.06 BAM 1.78

100.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$33.86

$1.40 BAM 2.35

43.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.09

$1.19 BAM 1.99

30.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.04

$0.95 BAM 1.60

43.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.4

$3.67 BAM 6.17

57.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$300

$8.31 BAM 13.95

113.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.95

$0.92 BAM 1.54

125.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$77.9

$1.17 BAM 1.96

294.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.18

$1.36 BAM 2.28

-72.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$358

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.68

$1.80 BAM 3.03

13.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.74

$0.57 BAM 0.96

1.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$17.52 BAM 29.43

-65.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$1.57 BAM 2.63

-1.27%

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

$22.9K MX$386.2K

$31.8K BAM 53.4K

-28.08%

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

$27.2K MX$459.8K

$22.2K BAM 37.3K

22.77%

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

$67.4 MX$1,138

$163 BAM 273

-58.58%

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

$30.62 MX$517

$16.91 BAM 28.40

81.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$629

$35.86 BAM 60.2

3.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,038

$33.81 BAM 56.8

81.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$120

$6.08 BAM 10.22

16.94%

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

$456 MX$7,703

$306 BAM 514

49.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$231.2K

$3,664 BAM 6,154

273.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,253

$86.3 BAM 145

-14.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$963

$36.91 BAM 62.0

54.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,949

$70.6 BAM 119

63.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,052

$148 BAM 249

-18.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.4K

$158 BAM 265

627.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$259 BAM 435

173.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.5K

$538 BAM 903

379.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$21.9K

$379 BAM 637

241.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.6K

$2,488 BAM 4,179

60.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.0K

$1,854 BAM 3,113

14.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.44

154.50%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Foca: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $158 in Foca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $23.00 in Foca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $203 per month, with Foca 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 Foca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,515 in Mexico City and $1,494 in Foca 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 $158 in Foca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $306 in Foca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Foca – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $996 in Foca versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foca but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Foca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Foca 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 Foca 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 Foca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.