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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,110 in Hamamatsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,843 in Hamamatsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,577 in Hamamatsu.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 34% more expensive than Hamamatsu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Hamamatsu is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$4.82 ¥772

169.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$42.39 ¥6,786

25.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$3.55 ¥568

173.80%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.08 ¥493

21.75%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.66 ¥106

137.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.82 ¥131

37.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.09 ¥335

52.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.72 ¥435

71.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.53 ¥244

5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.69 ¥270

60.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$4.84 ¥774

-61.16%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.84 ¥295

36.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$9.99 ¥1,600

0.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.39 ¥1,022

29.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$15.47 ¥2,476

-22.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$4.14 ¥663

-30.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$2.14 ¥342

-18.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$3.56 ¥569

-41.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$4.13 ¥661

-52.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$3.28 ¥524

-34.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$4.34 ¥694

-49.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.39 ¥222

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.86 ¥138

30.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$3.49 ¥559

20.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$9.66 ¥1,547

47.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.77 ¥283

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.05 ¥328

79.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.07 ¥171

-63.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$55.8 ¥8,932

-66.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$3.45 ¥553

-59.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$3.02 ¥484

-90.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$22.35 ¥3,579

-75.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.21 ¥193

11.57%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$20.8K ¥3.3M

-9.42%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$13.9K ¥2.2M

66.45%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$109 ¥17.4K

-62.38%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$9.90 ¥1,585

177.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$21.21 ¥3,396

43.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$103 ¥16.5K

-48.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$18.58 ¥2,974

41.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$13.60 ¥2,177

-53.90%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$285 ¥45.6K

53.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$14.0K ¥2.2M

-25.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$41.48 ¥6,639

36.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$27.83 ¥4,454

60.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$54.5 ¥8,716

88.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$104 ¥16.7K

3.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$378 ¥60.5K

164.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$244 ¥39.1K

154.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$881 ¥141.1K

142.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$584 ¥93.5K

111.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$7,566 ¥1.2M

-48.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$5,338 ¥854.5K

-56.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,413 ¥226.2K

-24.47%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Hamamatsu: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $378 in Hamamatsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamamatsu pays 32% 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 $42.00 in Hamamatsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,110 including rent). Hamamatsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Hamamatsu earns 32% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $378 in Hamamatsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 6% 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 $42.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,110 in Hamamatsu versus $1,484 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 34% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.