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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,103 in Hamamatsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,819 in Hamamatsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,536 in Hamamatsu.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 33% more expensive than in 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

$13.14 MX$227

$4.92 ¥775

167.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$41.90 ¥6,603

27.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$3.39 ¥534

175.22%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$3.03 ¥477

22.11%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.66 ¥104

142.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.77 ¥121

45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.05 ¥324

53.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.85 ¥449

70.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.47 ¥232

12.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.70 ¥267

59.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$5.01 ¥790

-61.88%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.83 ¥288

41.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$10.11 ¥1,592

-2.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$6.19 ¥975

36.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$15.69 ¥2,472

-23.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$4.06 ¥640

-27.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$2.11 ¥332

-17.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$3.39 ¥534

-39.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$4.13 ¥650

-50.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$3.39 ¥535

-36.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$4.36 ¥687

-48.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.39 ¥219

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.88 ¥139

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$3.45 ¥544

22.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$8.92 ¥1,406

96.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.74 ¥274

-1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.07 ¥325

75.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.06 ¥166

-66.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$56.2 ¥8,851

-65.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$3.52 ¥555

-60.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$2.96 ¥467

-90.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$21.75 ¥3,427

-75.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.20 ¥188

13.33%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$21.0K ¥3.3M

-9.23%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$14.1K ¥2.2M

67.54%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$109 ¥17.2K

-62.82%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$9.66 ¥1,522

183.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$20.96 ¥3,303

44.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$103 ¥16.3K

-49.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$18.56 ¥2,925

42.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$13.56 ¥2,137

-54.35%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$279 ¥43.9K

52.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$13.8K ¥2.2M

-22.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$41.66 ¥6,564

39.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$27.43 ¥4,322

62.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$55.1 ¥8,688

87.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$104 ¥16.3K

4.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$384 ¥60.5K

164.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$247 ¥39.0K

151.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$869 ¥136.9K

143.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$597 ¥94.1K

104.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$4,252 ¥670.1K

-10.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$2,051 ¥323.1K

2.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Hamamatsu: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $384 in Hamamatsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $42.00 in Hamamatsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $300, 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 33% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,103 including rent). Hamamatsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,654 in Hamamatsu 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $384 in Hamamatsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 2% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,103 in Hamamatsu versus $1,472 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 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.