Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Guadalupe, Costa Rica

For one person, living is cheaper in Guadalupe: $1,601 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $880 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mexico City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Guadalupe
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Guadalupe Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Guadalupe

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Guadalupe

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Guadalupe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,674 per month in Mexico City vs $1,601 in Guadalupe, rent included.

Mexico City $1,674
Guadalupe $1,601

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Mexico City vs $2,490 in Guadalupe, rent included.

Mexico City $2,606
Guadalupe $2,490

A family of three spends $3,537 per month in Mexico City vs $3,379 in Guadalupe, rent included.

Mexico City $3,537
Guadalupe $3,379

Mexico City costs about 5% more than Guadalupe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mexico City and Guadalupe sit above the global median – Mexico City by 24%, Guadalupe by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$197

$11.11 ₡4,996

-4.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$967

$32.87 ₡14.8K

58.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$200

$8.77 ₡3,942

22.35%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.6

$3.25 ₡1,460

16.92%

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

$1.61 MX$30.01

$2.15 ₡966

-25.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.55

$1.86 ₡837

-34.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.1

$3.36 ₡1,513

-5.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$101

$4.41 ₡1,983

23.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$31.96

$2.16 ₡973

-20.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.2

$3.19 ₡1,436

-6.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.84

$2.44 ₡1,098

-20.90%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.6

$3.48 ₡1,566

-20.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$217

$9.60 ₡4,319

21.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$176

$9.95 ₡4,472

-4.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$286

$13.84 ₡6,223

11.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$57.8

$5.11 ₡2,299

-39.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.49

$1.63 ₡734

20.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$36.88

$4.71 ₡2,118

-57.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.46

$3.77 ₡1,695

-37.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.66

$3.91 ₡1,759

-48.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.95

$3.71 ₡1,666

-50.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.74

$1.11 ₡499

38.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.42

$3.09 ₡1,392

-57.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$99.6

$4.46 ₡2,004

19.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$301

$20.12 ₡9,047

-19.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.46

$2.76 ₡1,241

-28.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.0

$3.58 ₡1,611

21.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.67

$1.35 ₡606

-77.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.68

$2.06 ₡926

-6.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.80

$1.60 ₡721

-70.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$101

$8.94 ₡4,019

-39.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.61

$1.42 ₡637

4.23%

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

$21.4K MX$397.7K

$25.9K ₡11.6M

-17.33%

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

$23.8K MX$442.1K

$41.5K ₡18.7M

-42.73%

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

$62.0 MX$1,154

$35.93 ₡16.2K

72.53%

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

$28.47 MX$530

$26.33 ₡11.8K

8.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$635

$54.3 ₡24.4K

-37.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,087

$66.9 ₡30.1K

-12.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$123

$7.80 ₡3,510

-15.51%

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

$434 MX$8,081

$990 ₡445.0K

-56.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$261.2K

$17.0K ₡7.6M

-17.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,272

$70.3 ₡31.6K

-2.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,020

$43.98 ₡19.8K

24.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,063

$131 ₡59.0K

-15.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,158

$98.4 ₡44.3K

17.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$21.9K

$819 ₡368.4K

43.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.3K

$644 ₡289.4K

19.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$47.8K

$1,873 ₡842.4K

37.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.4K

$1,253 ₡563.6K

13.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$66.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.7K

$1,232 ₡553.9K

-18.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

8.62

31.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Guadalupe: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Guadalupe

$644 40.2% 16.5% $127

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Guadalupe

$392 24.5% 21.2% $69

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Guadalupe

$196 12.2% 2.4% $4.7

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Guadalupe

$155 9.7% 1.8% $2.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Guadalupe

$117 7.3% 6.4% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Guadalupe

$83 5.2% 15.4% $11

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Guadalupe

$15 * 1% 38.1% $9.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,179 in Mexico City versus $819 in Guadalupe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 23% higher in Guadalupe, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Mexico City versus $33 in Guadalupe. Groceries tell a different story – $324 in Mexico City vs $392 in Guadalupe – so Mexico City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇷 Guadalupe

🕒 Local time

12:56 12:56 PM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

23,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Guadalupe 1,930 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Guadalupe

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Guadalupe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City, $1,601 in Guadalupe – Guadalupe comes out roughly 4% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,510 per month in Mexico City and $2,401 in Guadalupe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guadalupe, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $819 there versus $1,179 in Mexico City.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Mexico City and $33 in Guadalupe. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Mexico City – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,674 in Mexico City and $1,601 in Guadalupe, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,601 in Guadalupe to $1,674 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.