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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,283 in Fukushima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,002 in Fukushima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,721 in Fukushima.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 14% more expensive than Fukushima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Fukushima is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$230

$6.95 ¥1,115

89.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$941

$37.41 ¥5,997

44.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$165

$6.97 ¥1,118

35.15%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$62.0

$3.75 ¥601

-5.33%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$0.87 ¥140

86.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.46

$0.84 ¥134

32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.5

$2.54 ¥407

22.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.8

$3.18 ¥510

45.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.71

$1.58 ¥253

7.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.47

$1.58 ¥254

72.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.39

$4.67 ¥748

-59.10%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.28

$2.28 ¥365

11.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$175

$9.98 ¥1,600

0.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$141

$6.25 ¥1,002

29.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$203

$15.71 ¥2,518

-26.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.8

$5.35 ¥857

-44.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$2.64 ¥424

-31.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.15

$3.91 ¥626

-48.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.53

$6.03 ¥967

-66.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$37.10

$3.14 ¥504

-32.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.63

$2.61 ¥418

-13.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.45

$1.32 ¥212

6.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.74

$0.83 ¥133

36.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$4.12 ¥661

3.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$272

$7.86 ¥1,260

97.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$1.91 ¥306

-7.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.8

$2.25 ¥361

60.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.69

$1.67 ¥268

-77.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$335

$54.4 ¥8,713

-64.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.02

$3.45 ¥553

-60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$2.96 ¥475

-90.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$95.1

$20.60 ¥3,302

-73.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.77

$1.17 ¥188

11.11%

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

$18.7K MX$326.3K

$23.1K ¥3.7M

-19.06%

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

$23.1K MX$403.9K

$17.2K ¥2.8M

34.48%

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

$40.86 MX$714

$146 ¥23.3K

-71.94%

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

$26.81 MX$468

$26.64 ¥4,271

0.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$523

$33.90 ¥5,433

-11.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$908

$56.8 ¥9,102

-8.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$469

$13.69 ¥2,194

96.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$110

$12.46 ¥1,997

-49.44%

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

$436 MX$7,616

$285 ¥45.6K

53.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$181.9K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

-23.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$989

$42.48 ¥6,809

33.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$775

$28.97 ¥4,644

53.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,797

$58.9 ¥9,448

74.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,843

$91.2 ¥14.6K

15.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.8K

$476 ¥76.4K

114.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$11.0K

$326 ¥52.2K

93.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.3K

$876 ¥140.5K

143.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.7K

$649 ¥104.0K

91.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.2K

$4,247 ¥680.7K

-8.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$36.0K

$2,300 ¥368.6K

-10.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.5K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Fukushima: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $476 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 $288 vs $316, 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 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,925 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $476 in Fukushima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 9% 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 $1,283 in Fukushima versus $1,467 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 14% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.