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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,879 in Genk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $2,871 in Genk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $3,863 in Genk.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 11% less than in Genk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 22% above, Genk 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$23.06 €19.87

-47.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$92.2 €79.5

-41.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$14.22 €12.26

-22.01%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$4.25 €3.66

-3.53%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$2.63 €2.27

-36.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$2.37 €2.04

-41.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$4.75 €4.09

-29.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$4.11 €3.54

43.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.03 €0.88

79.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$2.82 €2.44

12.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$2.24 €1.93

-7.59%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$3.79 €3.27

-22.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$9.17 €7.91

37.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$7.67 €6.62

31.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$11.83 €10.20

36.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.50 €2.16

35.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$2.53 €2.18

-17.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$2.68 €2.31

-20.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$3.18 €2.74

-24.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$2.47 €2.13

-13.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$2.03 €1.75

-0.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.59 €1.37

-2.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$1.05 €0.91

29.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$13.33 €11.49

-56.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$7.72 €6.66

129.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.72 €1.48

20.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$1.15 €0.99

300.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$3.43 €2.96

-89.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$58.5 €50.4

-63.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$5.78 €4.98

-64.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$2.75 €2.37

-78.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$46.31 €39.92

-86.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.97 €1.70

-21.32%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$23.1K €19.9K

-0.90%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$28.3K €24.4K

-3.67%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$175 €151

-61.57%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$20.95 €18.06

46.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$42.79 €36.88

-12.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$38.93 €33.56

57.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$29.59 €25.51

-8.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$15.87 €13.68

-55.20%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$287 €248

58.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$35.2K €30.3K

-61.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$114 €97.9

-34.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$47.76 €41.17

19.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$80.4 €69.3

43.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$108 €93.4

12.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$975 €840

17.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$723 €624

-1.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$1,357 €1,170

89.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$1,122 €967

15.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$2,716 €2,341

47.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,984 €1,710

7.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$2,364 €2,038

-54.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.46

226.59%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Genk: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $975 in Genk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Genk pays 118% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $92.0 in Genk. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $275, with Genk 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 Genk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 118% lower in Genk. 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $975 in Genk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Genk pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $92.0 in Genk. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,879 in Genk, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Genk. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Genk, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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