Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Forbes

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $2,530 in Forbes, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Forbes
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Forbes Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Forbes

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Forbes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $2,530 in Forbes.

Mexico City $1,674
Forbes $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $3,647 in Forbes.

Mexico City $2,606
Forbes $3,647

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $4,764 in Forbes.

Mexico City $3,537
Forbes $4,764

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 34% less than in Forbes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 24% above, Forbes 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$199

$17.25 A$24.89

-38.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$976

$84.4 A$122

-38.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$201

$10.54 A$15.20

1.80%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$71.3

$4.05 A$5.84

-6.17%

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

$1.61 MX$30.28

$2.90 A$4.18

-44.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.76

$2.22 A$3.20

-45.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.7

$7.75 A$11.18

-58.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$102

$7.45 A$10.75

-26.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.26

$1.52 A$2.19

13.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.7

$2.71 A$3.91

9.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$36.17

$2.24 A$3.23

-13.84%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$52.1

$5.06 A$7.30

-45.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$219

$9.58 A$13.82

21.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$178

$9.16 A$13.22

3.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$289

$14.47 A$20.87

6.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$58.3

$3.69 A$5.33

-15.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.82

$3.04 A$4.38

-35.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$37.22

$3.28 A$4.73

-39.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.86

$4.71 A$6.79

-50.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.00

$2.77 A$3.99

-27.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.26

$2.39 A$3.45

-23.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$29.00

$2.33 A$3.36

-33.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.64

$1.53 A$2.21

-14.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$100

$42.64 A$61.5

-87.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$304

$14.23 A$20.52

13.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.79

$4.78 A$6.89

-59.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.7

$5.21 A$7.52

-16.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.72

$2.77 A$3.99

-89.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$366

$85.2 A$123

-77.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$36.01

$3.56 A$5.14

-46.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.88

$1.63 A$2.34

-71.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$102

$40.80 A$58.9

-86.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.86

$1.32 A$1.90

12.12%

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

$21.4K MX$401.4K

$29.2K A$42.2K

-26.91%

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

$23.8K MX$446.1K

$26.1K A$37.7K

-9.08%

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

$62.0 MX$1,164

$212 A$306

-70.75%

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

$28.47 MX$535

$27.83 A$40.15

2.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$641

$57.0 A$82.2

-40.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,097

$56.1 A$80.9

4.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$460

$17.97 A$25.92

36.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$124

$14.18 A$20.45

-53.53%

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

$434 MX$8,155

$2,134 A$3,078

-79.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$263.6K

$20.0K A$28.9K

-29.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,284

$76.2 A$110

-10.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,029

$54.2 A$78.2

1.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,082

$106 A$153

4.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,178

$123 A$177

-5.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$22.1K

$1,386 A$2,000

-14.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.5K

$1,220 A$1,760

-36.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$48.3K

$2,234 A$3,223

15.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.7K

$1,836 A$2,648

-22.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.3K

$5,936 A$8,562

-39.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.8K

$4,932 A$7,114

-58.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

5.9

92.37%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Forbes: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Forbes

$1.2K 48.2% 58.3% $449

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Forbes

$366 14.5% 13.2% $43

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Forbes

$292 11.6% 45.7% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Forbes

$162 6.4% 2.7% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Forbes

$297 11.7% 138% $172

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Forbes

$84 3.3% 18% $13

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Forbes

$108 4.3% 332% $83

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $1,386 in Forbes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $84 in Forbes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $366 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇦🇺 Forbes

🕒 Local time

09:43 9:43 AM

02:43 2:43 AM

17 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

8,481

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

1 AUD = 0.693 USD

1 AUD = 0.617 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.693 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.617 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Mexico City Forbes 13,270 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Forbes

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 Forbes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,674 in Mexico City and $2,530 in Forbes, so Mexico City is about 34% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,510 in Mexico City and $3,795 in Forbes 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: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $1,386 in Forbes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,674 per month in Mexico City versus $2,530 in Forbes – Mexico City is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 77% less than in Forbes. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Forbes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.