Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Herat

For one person, living is cheaper in Herat: $399 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Herat, Afghanistan
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Herat
🇦🇫 Afghanistan
$399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $399 in Herat, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Herat $399

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $478 in Herat, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Herat $478

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $558 in Herat, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Herat $558

Mexico City costs about 303% more than Herat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Herat is 71% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Herat
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$198
-
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$901
$9.41 ؋611
413.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$193
$3.75 ؋243
176.00%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.52 ؋98.4
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$7.87 ؋511
-
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$68.7
$0.79 ؋51.5
367.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.05
$0.44 ؋28.56
279.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.58
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$59.5
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$98.9
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Herat
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.13
$0.61 ؋39.47
181.97%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$56.6
-
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.17
-
-
Eggs
$2.89 MX$53.8
$1.89 ؋123
52.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$204
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$172
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$282
$6.28 ؋408
140.92%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$56.8
$0.63 ؋41.15
384.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.17
$0.75 ؋48.82
158.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.73
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.12
$0.64 ؋41.71
260.94%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$37.91
$0.30 ؋19.37
580.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.53
$0.32 ؋20.80
462.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.56
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.62
$0.30 ؋19.18
323.33%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.47 ؋30.52
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$98.8
$3.17 ؋206
67.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$300
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$36.95
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.2
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Herat
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.68
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$368
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.23
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.94
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$98.7
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.14
-
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$405.3K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$446.9K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Herat
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,173
$312 ؋20.3K
-79.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$510
-
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$664
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Herat
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,098
$15.41 ؋1,001
282.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$441
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$119
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Herat
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,041
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$212.8K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Herat
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,271
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$990
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,008
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,185
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Herat
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.7K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.2K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.2K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$67.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$39.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Herat
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
20
-43.25%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Herat: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Herat
–
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Herat
–
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Herat
–
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Herat
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Herat
–
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Herat
–
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Herat
–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $9 in Herat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $48 – making Herat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇦🇫 Herat
🕒 Local time
02:18 2:18 AM
12:48 12:48 PM
10 h 30 min ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
349,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 64.93 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.46 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Herat 13,720 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Herat

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 Herat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Herat cheaper than Mexico City?
Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 303%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $598 in Herat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do food prices compare in Mexico City and in Herat?
Groceries cost about 560% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Mexico City or in Herat?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $9 in Herat. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Mexico City or in Herat?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Herat, where all-in costs run around $399, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Herat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Mexico City or in Herat?
It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $399 in Herat to $1,608 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Mexico City vs other spots: cost of living compared

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