Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Havana

For one person, living is cheaper in Havana: $862 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Havana
Learn more

Havana Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Havana

🇨🇺 Cuba

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $862 in Havana.

Mexico City $1,548
Havana $862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,389 in Havana.

Mexico City $2,436
Havana $1,389

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $1,916 in Havana.

Mexico City $3,323
Havana $1,916

Living in Mexico City is roughly 80% more expensive than in Havana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Havana is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$3.68 CUP 88.4

199.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$27.47 CUP 659

77.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$5.12 CUP 123

112.89%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$1.05 CUP 25.28

250.48%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$1.58 CUP 37.86

3.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$1.00 CUP 24.07

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$1.23 CUP 29.62

164.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$2.02 CUP 48.54

173.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$2.74 CUP 65.7

-37.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.47 CUP 35.30

105.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$1.78 CUP 42.73

7.87%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$3.61 CUP 86.7

-24.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$4.42 CUP 106

166.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$4.78 CUP 115

99.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$8.43 CUP 202

70.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$5.91 CUP 142

-48.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.05 CUP 25.32

80.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$3.88 CUP 93.2

-48.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$2.29 CUP 54.9

-4.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$2.81 CUP 67.4

-31.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$2.68 CUP 64.2

-30.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$0.79 CUP 19.07

82.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.57 CUP 13.68

122.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$1.67 CUP 40.16

212.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$5.19 CUP 124

211.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.72 CUP 41.30

10.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$2.06 CUP 49.38

104.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.63 CUP 15.15

-46.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$22.59 CUP 542

-13.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$2.59 CUP 62.1

-22.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$0.36 CUP 8.73

44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$19.97 CUP 479

-73.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.33 CUP 31.87

14.29%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$61.0K CUP 1.5M

-63.79%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$59.1K CUP 1.4M

-58.50%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$46.70 CUP 1,121

30.77%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$39.02 CUP 936

-26.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$91.3 CUP 2,191

-62.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$16.26 CUP 390

246.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$12.92 CUP 310

92.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$0.84 CUP 20.13

692.86%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$154 CUP 3,688

177.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$12.6K CUP 302.8K

-7.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$51.9 CUP 1,246

30.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$41.76 CUP 1,002

24.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$80.2 CUP 1,925

32.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$66.3 CUP 1,590

69.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$243 CUP 5,841

321.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$216 CUP 5,181

203.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$878 CUP 21.1K

163.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$500 CUP 12.0K

148.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$304 CUP 7,295

1088.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$406 CUP 9,749

376.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$29.43 CUP 706

3175.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

9.1

24.18%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Havana: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Havana

$216 25% 67% $438

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Havana

$236 27.4% 25.9% $82

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Havana

$78 9% 61.7% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Havana

$108 12.5% 29% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Havana

$177 20.5% 42.6% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Havana

$18 2.1% 74.3% $52

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Havana

$30 3.4% 15.2% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $243 in Havana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 3176% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Havana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $236 per month, with Havana cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇺 Havana

🕒 Local time

06:43 6:43 AM

08:43 8:43 AM

2 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

2,141,993 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Havana 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Havana

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 Havana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Havana differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $862 including rent). Havana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3176% 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $243 in Havana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Havana – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,548 per month in Mexico City versus $862 in Havana – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $862 in Havana versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Havana but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Havana 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 Havana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.