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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,263 in Fukushima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,991 in Fukushima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,718 in Fukushima.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 15% more expensive than in Fukushima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Fukushima is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$6.90 ¥1,121

89.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$36.55 ¥5,939

47.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$7.09 ¥1,152

36.53%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.77 ¥612

-0.80%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.91 ¥147

78.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.81 ¥132

43.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.62 ¥425

23.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.06 ¥498

54.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.59 ¥258

3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.55 ¥251

77.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$4.87 ¥792

-61.60%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.21 ¥359

13.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$10.21 ¥1,659

-0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.50 ¥1,057

26.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$15.38 ¥2,498

-23.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$5.25 ¥853

-42.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$2.53 ¥411

-28.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$3.94 ¥641

-49.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$6.02 ¥977

-66.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$3.05 ¥495

-31.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$2.58 ¥420

-12.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.38 ¥224

5.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.85 ¥138

27.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.08 ¥662

6.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$7.49 ¥1,217

126.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.90 ¥309

-8.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.17 ¥353

64.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.67 ¥272

-76.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$54.7 ¥8,893

-65.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$3.49 ¥567

-61.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$3.00 ¥488

-90.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$20.66 ¥3,356

-74.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.23 ¥200

8.94%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$23.4K ¥3.8M

-17.21%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$17.0K ¥2.8M

39.94%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$145 ¥23.6K

-71.97%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$27.39 ¥4,449

-1.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$34.20 ¥5,557

-10.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$56.2 ¥9,136

-6.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$13.97 ¥2,270

90.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$12.24 ¥1,989

-46.81%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$285 ¥46.3K

50.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$13.7K ¥2.2M

-23.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$43.31 ¥7,037

32.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$28.98 ¥4,709

57.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$60.7 ¥9,866

71.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$91.7 ¥14.9K

17.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$473 ¥76.9K

112.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$323 ¥52.5K

92.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$872 ¥141.7K

141.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$646 ¥104.9K

88.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$4,918 ¥799.1K

-21.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$2,332 ¥378.9K

-12.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

1.78

537.08%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Fukushima: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $473 in Fukushima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $37.00 in Fukushima. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $315, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,895 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $473 in Fukushima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Fukushima – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,263 in Fukushima versus $1,456 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.

For families, Fukushima 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 Fukushima 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 Fukushima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.