Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Gulu

For one person, living is cheaper in Gulu: $114 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Gulu

🇺🇬 Uganda

$114

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $114 in Gulu.

Mexico City $1,608
Gulu $114

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $167 in Gulu.

Mexico City $2,549
Gulu $167

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $219 in Gulu.

Mexico City $3,490
Gulu $219

Living in Mexico City is roughly 1309% more expensive than in Gulu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Gulu is 92% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$1.22 UGX 5,319

770.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$908

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$10.93 UGX 47.5K

-5.31%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.3

$2.43 UGX 10.6K

51.85%

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

$1.67 MX$31.29

$0.25 UGX 1,089

568.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.76

$0.10 UGX 444

1170.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.9

$0.74 UGX 3,201

331.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.6

$2.48 UGX 10.8K

114.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.38

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.44

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.2

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.2

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.45

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.02

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.46

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.21

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.79

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.77

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.80

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.6

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.93 UGX 4,034

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$28.56 UGX 124.1K

-30.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.50

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.36

$1.19 UGX 5,149

26.89%

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

$21.8K MX$408.4K

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

$24.0K MX$450.3K

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

$63.0 MX$1,182

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

$27.39 MX$514

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,107

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

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

$432 MX$8,103

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,281

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$997

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,023

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,202

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Gulu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Gulu

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Gulu

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Gulu

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Gulu

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Gulu

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Gulu

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Gulu

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇬 Gulu

🕒 Local time

03:30 3:30 AM

12:30 12:30 PM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

152,276

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.3 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.06 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4,345 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.3 USD). 1 EUR = 4,851 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.06 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Gulu 14,170 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Gulu

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 Gulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gulu is about 93% cheaper overall, especially in eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $171 in Gulu 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.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 31% less than in Gulu. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $114 in Gulu – Gulu is about 93% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $114 in Gulu versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gulu but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Gulu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.