Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Hanoi

For one person, living is cheaper in Hanoi: $801 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Hanoi
Learn more

Hanoi Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$801

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $801 in Hanoi.

Mexico City $1,608
Hanoi $801

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,246 in Hanoi.

Mexico City $2,549
Hanoi $1,246

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,691 in Hanoi.

Mexico City $3,490
Hanoi $1,691

Living in Mexico City is roughly 101% more expensive than in Hanoi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Hanoi is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$2.00 ₫51.6K

431.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$908

$23.34 ₫602.1K

107.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$4.40 ₫113.7K

135.23%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.3

$1.93 ₫49.9K

91.19%

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

$1.67 MX$31.29

$0.48 ₫12.3K

247.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.76

$0.33 ₫8,605

284.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.9

$1.06 ₫27.4K

200.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.6

$1.96 ₫50.6K

170.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.38

$1.51 ₫39.1K

13.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$1.05 ₫27.1K

189.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.44

$0.80 ₫20.8K

142.50%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.2

$1.46 ₫37.6K

97.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$11.48 ₫296.3K

-4.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$3.55 ₫91.7K

160.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$10.10 ₫260.6K

49.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.2

$3.11 ₫80.1K

-1.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.45

$1.01 ₫26.0K

92.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.02

$1.33 ₫34.3K

52.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.46

$1.05 ₫27.1K

120.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.21

$0.91 ₫23.6K

124.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.79

$1.15 ₫29.6K

56.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.77

$0.54 ₫14.0K

174.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.80

$0.55 ₫14.1K

130.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.6

$1.37 ₫35.3K

286.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

$11.82 ₫304.9K

36.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.23

$0.88 ₫22.8K

125.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.8

$1.71 ₫44.0K

148.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.41 ₫10.5K

-24.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$10.68 ₫275.4K

84.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.50

$0.80 ₫20.6K

130.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.02

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-5.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$2.38 ₫61.4K

122.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.36

$0.91 ₫23.4K

65.93%

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

$21.8K MX$408.4K

$31.1K ₫803.1M

-30.11%

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

$24.0K MX$450.3K

$28.6K ₫737.8M

-16.11%

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

$63.0 MX$1,182

$83.5 ₫2.2M

-24.56%

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

$27.39 MX$514

$5.22 ₫134.8K

424.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$8.78 ₫226.5K

306.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,107

$27.23 ₫702.5K

116.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$9.64 ₫248.8K

145.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$4.61 ₫118.9K

38.83%

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

$432 MX$8,103

$867 ₫22.4M

-50.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.5K

$27.7K ₫714.3M

-58.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,281

$46.55 ₫1.2M

46.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$997

$26.64 ₫687.3K

99.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,023

$83.5 ₫2.2M

29.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,202

$76.3 ₫2.0M

53.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$429 ₫11.1M

159.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$287 ₫7.4M

147.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$874 ₫22.6M

196.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$549 ₫14.2M

155.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$4,936 ₫127.4M

-26.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$2,835 ₫73.2M

-24.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$512 ₫13.2M

84.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

8.28

37.08%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Hanoi: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Hanoi

$287 35.8% 59.6% $424

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Hanoi

$195 24.3% 39.1% $125

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Hanoi

$65 8.1% 67.3% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Hanoi

$105 13.1% 32.8% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Hanoi

$97 12.2% 22.7% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Hanoi

$36 4.6% 49.2% $35

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Hanoi

$16 2% 37.6% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $429 in Hanoi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 85% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $23 in Hanoi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $195 per month, with Hanoi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇻🇳 Hanoi

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

22:49 10:49 PM

13 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

8,587,100 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, 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).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 25,802 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,810 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Hanoi 14,760 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Hanoi

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 Hanoi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $801 in Hanoi, so Hanoi is about 50% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 85% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $429 in Hanoi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hanoi runs roughly 46% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $867 in Hanoi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $801 in Hanoi versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Hanoi but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Hanoi 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.

Expats usually find Hanoi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.