Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Hamamatsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamamatsu: $783 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Hamamatsu, Japan
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Hamamatsu
🇯🇵 Japan
$783
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $783 in Hamamatsu.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Hamamatsu $783

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,266 in Hamamatsu.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Hamamatsu $1,266

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,750 in Hamamatsu.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Hamamatsu $1,750

Living in Mexico City is roughly 105% more expensive than in Hamamatsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Hamamatsu is 42% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Hamamatsu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$200
$3.90 ¥614
172.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$909
$41.78 ¥6,588
15.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$194
$5.19 ¥819
99.42%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$69.4
$3.41 ¥538
8.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.32
$1.10 ¥174
51.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.78
$0.75 ¥118
69.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$60.0
$2.61 ¥411
22.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$99.7
$3.11 ¥490
70.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Hamamatsu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.41
$1.08 ¥170
59.26%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$57.1
$1.70 ¥267
78.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.48
$3.67 ¥578
-47.14%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$54.3
$1.68 ¥265
72.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$206
$10.25 ¥1,616
7.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$174
$6.17 ¥972
49.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$284
$14.24 ¥2,245
6.25%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$57.3
$5.80 ¥915
-47.41%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.48
$2.84 ¥447
-31.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.06
$2.95 ¥465
-31.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.50
$4.30 ¥679
-46.28%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$38.25
$2.61 ¥412
-21.84%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.83
$2.59 ¥408
-30.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.80
$1.29 ¥204
14.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.82
$0.66 ¥104
92.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$99.7
$3.89 ¥613
36.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$303
$6.39 ¥1,007
151.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$37.27
$1.82 ¥287
8.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.9
$2.10 ¥331
102.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Hamamatsu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.73
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$371
$50.1 ¥7,904
-60.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.53
$3.11 ¥490
-40.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$10.03
$2.63 ¥414
-79.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$99.5
$20.62 ¥3,252
-74.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.39
$1.06 ¥167
42.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$408.8K
$21.6K ¥3.4M
0.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$450.8K
$15.8K ¥2.5M
51.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Hamamatsu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,184
$130 ¥20.6K
-51.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$515
$8.59 ¥1,354
218.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$670
$32.78 ¥5,169
8.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Hamamatsu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,108
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$444
$17.40 ¥2,744
35.86%
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$120
$13.08 ¥2,062
-51.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Hamamatsu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,111
$819 ¥129.2K
-47.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$214.7K
$14.8K ¥2.3M
-23.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Hamamatsu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,282
$63.6 ¥10.0K
7.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$999
$37.10 ¥5,850
43.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,026
$61.3 ¥9,665
75.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,204
$103 ¥16.3K
13.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Hamamatsu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.9K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.4K
-
-
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
$7,787 ¥1.2M
-53.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$40.1K
$5,298 ¥835.4K
-59.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Hamamatsu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.8K
$1,602 ¥252.7K
-40.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
2.64
329.92%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Hamamatsu: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Hamamatsu
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Hamamatsu
$285 10.8% $35
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Hamamatsu
$114 42.4% $84
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Hamamatsu
$119 23.5% $37
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Hamamatsu
$172 36.3% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Hamamatsu
$26 * 63.5% $46
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Hamamatsu
$66 * 161% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Hamamatsu pays 69% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $42 in Hamamatsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $285 per month, with Hamamatsu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇯🇵 Hamamatsu
🕒 Local time
18:03 6:03 PM
09:03 9:03 AM
15 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
797,033
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Hamamatsu 11,510 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Hamamatsu

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 Hamamatsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Mexico City and in Hamamatsu?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $783 in Hamamatsu, so Hamamatsu is about 51% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Mexico City. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Hamamatsu – a meal for two runs $42 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $783 in Hamamatsu versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 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.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Hamamatsu?
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.

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