Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Fukushima

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukushima: $1,179 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Fukushima
Learn more

Fukushima Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Fukushima

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,179

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $1,179 in Fukushima.

Mexico City $1,674
Fukushima $1,179

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $1,896 in Fukushima.

Mexico City $2,606
Fukushima $1,896

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $2,613 in Fukushima.

Mexico City $3,537
Fukushima $2,613

Living in Mexico City is roughly 42% more expensive than in Fukushima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, Fukushima is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$198

$5.97 ¥945

77.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$972

$29.63 ¥4,692

75.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$201

$4.37 ¥692

145.54%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$71.0

$2.47 ¥391

53.85%

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

$1.61 MX$30.16

$0.97 ¥153

65.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.67

$0.67 ¥105

80.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.4

$2.58 ¥409

23.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$102

$3.18 ¥503

71.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.13

$1.51 ¥240

13.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.5

$1.53 ¥243

94.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$36.02

$4.10 ¥650

-52.93%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.9

$2.09 ¥330

32.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$218

$10.23 ¥1,619

14.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$177

$6.50 ¥1,028

45.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$288

$17.13 ¥2,712

-10.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$58.1

$3.71 ¥588

-16.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.67

$2.23 ¥353

-12.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$37.07

$2.95 ¥467

-32.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.68

$4.09 ¥647

-42.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.85

$2.38 ¥376

-15.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.13

$2.48 ¥392

-26.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.89

$1.32 ¥210

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.54

$0.83 ¥132

57.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$100

$3.99 ¥632

34.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$303

$6.55 ¥1,037

147.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.64

$1.88 ¥297

4.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.4

$2.15 ¥341

102.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.70

$1.52 ¥241

-80.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$365

$58.4 ¥9,248

-66.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.86

$3.56 ¥564

-46.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.84

$2.96 ¥469

-84.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$101

$23.07 ¥3,652

-76.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.75

$1.21 ¥192

22.31%

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

$21.4K MX$399.7K

$22.4K ¥3.5M

-4.46%

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

$23.8K MX$444.3K

$15.0K ¥2.4M

58.78%

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

$62.0 MX$1,160

$125 ¥19.7K

-50.28%

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

$28.47 MX$533

$21.80 ¥3,452

30.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$638

$32.57 ¥5,156

4.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,092

$51.2 ¥8,103

14.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$123

$11.50 ¥1,820

-42.70%

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

$434 MX$8,122

$692 ¥109.6K

-37.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$262.5K

$18.2K ¥2.9M

-23.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,278

$52.5 ¥8,310

30.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,025

$34.18 ¥5,411

60.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,073

$67.4 ¥10.7K

64.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,169

$77.2 ¥12.2K

50.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$22.1K

$556 ¥88.0K

112.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.4K

$334 ¥52.9K

130.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$48.1K

$973 ¥154.0K

164.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.6K

$808 ¥127.9K

75.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.1K

$4,329 ¥685.4K

-17.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.6K

$2,479 ¥392.6K

-16.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

2.21

413.57%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Fukushima: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Fukushima

$334 28.3% 56.7% $437

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Fukushima

$288 24.5% 11% $35

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Fukushima

$116 9.9% 42% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Fukushima

$104 8.8% 33.9% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Fukushima

$179 15.2% 43.7% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Fukushima

$74 6.3% 3.6% $2.6

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Fukushima

$83 7% 232% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $556 in Fukushima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $30 in Fukushima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $288 per month, with Fukushima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇯🇵 Fukushima

🕒 Local time

18:11 6:11 PM

09:11 9:11 AM

15 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

282,693

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.65 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Fukushima 11,120 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Fukushima

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 Fukushima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fukushima is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,510 in Mexico City and $1,768 in Fukushima 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 $556 in Fukushima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Fukushima – a meal for two runs $30 versus $52 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,179 in Fukushima versus $1,674 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fukushima but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Fukushima 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.