Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Guilin

For one person, living is cheaper in Guilin: $655 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Guilin, China
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Guilin
🇨🇳 China
$655
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Guilin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $655 in Guilin, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Guilin $655

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $1,046 in Guilin, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Guilin $1,046

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $1,436 in Guilin, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Guilin $1,436

Mexico City costs about 145% more than Guilin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Guilin is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Guilin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$199
$2.21 ¥14.67
380.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$906
$15.11 ¥100
219.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$194
$3.02 ¥20.02
242.72%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$69.2
$2.07 ¥13.71
78.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.23
$0.40 ¥2.65
317.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.71
$0.31 ¥2.08
309.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$59.8
$0.83 ¥5.53
284.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$99.5
$2.14 ¥14.21
148.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Guilin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.32
$1.48 ¥9.79
16.22%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$57.0
$1.30 ¥8.62
133.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.38
$0.63 ¥4.18
207.94%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$54.1
$1.76 ¥11.67
64.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$206
$13.08 ¥86.8
-16.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$173
$3.29 ¥21.83
181.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$283
$11.43 ¥75.9
32.37%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$57.1
$1.51 ¥10.04
101.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.38
$1.21 ¥8.04
60.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.95
$1.06 ¥7.04
91.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.38
$0.92 ¥6.09
151.09%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$38.14
$0.71 ¥4.69
187.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.73
$0.90 ¥5.99
100.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.72
$0.56 ¥3.75
164.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.75
$0.43 ¥2.86
195.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$99.4
$3.84 ¥25.50
38.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$302
$10.65 ¥70.7
51.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$37.16
$0.86 ¥5.71
130.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.7
$1.53 ¥10.14
177.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Guilin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.72
$0.29 ¥1.92
6.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$370
$17.76 ¥118
11.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.44
$1.38 ¥9.17
33.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$10.00
$0.31 ¥2.06
70.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$99.2
$8.12 ¥53.9
-34.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.31
$1.17 ¥7.76
29.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$407.7K
$19.5K ¥129.2K
11.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$449.5K
$18.0K ¥119.3K
33.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Guilin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,180
$24.16 ¥160
160.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$513
$5.06 ¥33.59
441.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$668
$11.06 ¥73.4
222.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Guilin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,105
$41.98 ¥279
40.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$443
$14.59 ¥96.8
62.03%
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$120
$5.12 ¥34.00
25.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Guilin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,088
$468 ¥3,107
-7.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$214.1K
$18.8K ¥124.6K
-39.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Guilin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,278
$42.25 ¥280
61.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$996
$32.05 ¥213
65.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,020
$75.2 ¥499
43.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,198
$75.0 ¥498
56.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Guilin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.9K
$281 ¥1,868
295.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.3K
$186 ¥1,234
282.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.5K
$597 ¥3,962
333.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.3K
$362 ¥2,399
288.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$68.0K
$1,368 ¥9,079
165.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$40.0K
$1,942 ¥12.9K
9.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Guilin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.7K
$485 ¥3,217
95.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
3.36
237.80%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Guilin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Guilin
$186 73.8% $524
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Guilin
$191 40.2% $129
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Guilin
$63 68.4% $136
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Guilin
$101 35.2% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Guilin
$40 68% $86
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Guilin
$52 27.2% $20
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Guilin
$22 14.2% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $281 in Guilin. 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 95% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $15 in Guilin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $191 – making Guilin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇨🇳 Guilin
🕒 Local time
09:59 9:59 AM
23:59 11:59 PM
14 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
4,931,137
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.151 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Guilin 14,110 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Guilin

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 Guilin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Guilin cheaper than Mexico City?
Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 145%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $983 in Guilin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Guilin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $281 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.
Is eating out cheaper in Mexico City or in Guilin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $15 in Guilin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Mexico City and in Guilin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $655 in Guilin. That makes Guilin about 59% cheaper.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Mexico City or in Guilin?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Guilin, where all-in costs run around $655, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Guilin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Mexico City or in Guilin?
It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $655 in Guilin to $1,608 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Guilin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Mexico City vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?