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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $1,315 in Garliava.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $2,038 in Garliava.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $2,762 in Garliava.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 12% more expensive than Garliava, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Garliava is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$11.65 €9.93

14.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$62.8 €53.6

-14.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.83 €5.82

37.92%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$3.04 €2.59

18.09%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$2.29 €1.96

-29.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$1.71 €1.46

-34.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$5.05 €4.31

-35.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$4.36 €3.72

6.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.44 €1.23

13.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$1.81 €1.54

46.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$2.35 €2.00

-16.60%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.88 €2.45

-11.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$10.70 €9.13

-6.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$7.77 €6.62

7.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$10.23 €8.73

15.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$1.37 €1.17

108.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.62 €1.38

6.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$2.20 €1.88

-9.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$3.56 €3.04

-42.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$0.75 €0.64

174.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$1.00 €0.85

128.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.68 €1.44

-13.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.86 €0.74

26.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$5.93 €5.05

-27.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$10.46 €8.92

40.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$1.72 €1.46

2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$1.78 €1.52

100.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$1.13 €0.97

-66.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

$33.72 €28.76

-44.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$2.94 €2.51

-52.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$1.02 €0.87

-70.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$8.99 €7.67

-39.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.60 €1.36

-16.25%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$39.4K €33.6K

-52.20%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$29.4K €25.1K

-21.22%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$213 €182

-81.10%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$15.64 €13.35

73.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$14.81 €12.63

98.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$41.49 €35.39

27.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$22.75 €19.40

15.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$9.02 €7.69

-31.49%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$457 €389

-3.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$7,667 €6,540

39.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$85.3 €72.8

-32.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$42.70 €36.43

5.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$82.7 €70.6

25.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$117 €99.5

-6.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$531 €453

88.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$362 €309

74.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$834 €712

156.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$642 €547

95.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$2,678 €2,284

39.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$1,627 €1,388

46.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

$1,409 €1,202

-23.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.13

174.58%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Last update for Garliava: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $531 in Garliava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Garliava pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $63 in Garliava. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $253, with Garliava 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 Garliava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Garliava is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Garliava earns 31% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $531 in Garliava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Garliava runs roughly 80% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $441 in Mexico City versus $457 in Garliava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,315 in Garliava versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Garliava but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Garliava the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Garliava 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 Garliava 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 Garliava gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.