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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,109 in Hamamatsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,844 in Hamamatsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,579 in Hamamatsu.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 30% more expensive than Hamamatsu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Hamamatsu is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$4.99 ¥798

160.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$40.88 ¥6,538

28.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$3.44 ¥550

174.13%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$3.07 ¥490

16.29%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.72 ¥115

123.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.75 ¥120

53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.07 ¥331

52.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.75 ¥440

76.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.51 ¥242

12.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.73 ¥276

52.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$5.00 ¥799

-62.00%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$1.82 ¥291

39.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$9.93 ¥1,588

1.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$6.24 ¥997

32.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$15.56 ¥2,489

-25.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$4.22 ¥675

-28.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$2.10 ¥336

-18.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$3.40 ¥544

-39.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$4.26 ¥682

-51.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$3.40 ¥543

-39.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$4.18 ¥668

-48.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.40 ¥223

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.88 ¥140

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.52 ¥563

21.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$9.40 ¥1,504

63.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.77 ¥284

-5.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.07 ¥331

78.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.01 ¥162

-62.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$54.8 ¥8,770

-65.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$3.39 ¥542

-59.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$2.93 ¥468

-90.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$22.59 ¥3,613

-76.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.21 ¥193

5.79%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$20.9K ¥3.3M

-9.18%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$14.0K ¥2.2M

67.50%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$109 ¥17.4K

-62.34%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$9.72 ¥1,554

176.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$21.01 ¥3,360

41.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$105 ¥16.8K

-50.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$18.77 ¥3,002

39.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$13.50 ¥2,160

-54.22%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$278 ¥44.5K

53.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$14.1K ¥2.3M

-24.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$42.38 ¥6,778

34.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$27.81 ¥4,448

61.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$54.6 ¥8,737

91.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$106 ¥16.9K

0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$376 ¥60.2K

164.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$245 ¥39.1K

153.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$871 ¥139.3K

144.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$581 ¥92.9K

115.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$7,573 ¥1.2M

-48.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$5,304 ¥848.4K

-60.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$1,248 ¥199.6K

-11.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

0.95

1093.68%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Hamamatsu: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $376 in Hamamatsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamamatsu pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $41.00 in Hamamatsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $302, with Mexico City 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 Hamamatsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Hamamatsu differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,109 including rent). Hamamatsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Hamamatsu earns 13% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $376 in Hamamatsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamamatsu – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,109 in Hamamatsu versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hamamatsu but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Hamamatsu 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Hamamatsu 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 Hamamatsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.