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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,229 in Fukushima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,935 in Fukushima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,641 in Fukushima.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 35% more expensive than in Fukushima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Fukushima is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$6.52 ¥1,018

82.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$33.03 ¥5,154

56.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$5.11 ¥797

123.29%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$3.12 ¥486

27.88%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$1.19 ¥185

39.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.76 ¥119

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.73 ¥425

27.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.24 ¥505

82.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.71 ¥267

9.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.52 ¥237

113.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$4.18 ¥653

-48.33%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.83 ¥285

58.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$9.98 ¥1,557

28.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.18 ¥965

62.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$17.03 ¥2,657

-6.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$5.12 ¥798

-35.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$2.23 ¥347

-9.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$2.71 ¥423

-18.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$4.74 ¥739

-50.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$2.71 ¥423

-24.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$2.56 ¥399

-25.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.12 ¥175

43.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.78 ¥121

79.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$3.42 ¥533

59.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$8.23 ¥1,284

114.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.74 ¥272

18.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.43 ¥380

92.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$1.49 ¥232

-77.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$51.9 ¥8,095

-59.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$3.09 ¥482

-32.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$2.52 ¥394

-77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$19.69 ¥3,073

-70.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.23 ¥192

30.89%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$20.5K ¥3.2M

11.32%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$13.3K ¥2.1M

101.25%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$155 ¥24.2K

-58.01%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$26.94 ¥4,204

11.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$36.11 ¥5,635

2.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$55.8 ¥8,713

7.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$13.90 ¥2,169

-49.35%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$515 ¥80.4K

-9.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$12.4K ¥1.9M

7.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$47.34 ¥7,386

60.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$37.39 ¥5,833

49.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$63.7 ¥9,938

75.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$99.2 ¥15.5K

21.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$507 ¥79.1K

117.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$332 ¥51.8K

117.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$1,169 ¥182.4K

116.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$795 ¥124.0K

62.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$4,016 ¥626.6K

-0.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$2,035 ¥317.6K

2.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.09

440.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Fukushima: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $507 in Fukushima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $33.00 in Fukushima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $299 per month, with Fukushima 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 Fukushima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fukushima is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,843 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $507 in Fukushima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% 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 $33.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,229 in Fukushima versus $1,660 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 35% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.