Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Himeji Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Himeji

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,456 per month in Mexico City vs $1,269 in Himeji, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,361 per month in Mexico City vs $2,019 in Himeji, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,266 per month in Mexico City vs $2,769 in Himeji, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 15% more than Himeji, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 9% above the global median, while Himeji is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$8.52 ¥1,385

53.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$33.99 ¥5,522

58.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$6.11 ¥993

58.43%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.99 ¥486

25.08%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.16 ¥188

39.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.75 ¥121

54.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$3.51 ¥571

-7.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.08 ¥500

53.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.53 ¥249

7.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.78 ¥290

54.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$5.12 ¥831

-63.48%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.53 ¥411

-1.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$17.12 ¥2,781

-40.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$7.79 ¥1,265

5.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$15.62 ¥2,537

-24.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$8.94 ¥1,453

-66.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$2.77 ¥451

-34.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$3.54 ¥575

-43.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$9.56 ¥1,553

-79.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$3.86 ¥627

-46.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$2.03 ¥329

11.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.02 ¥165

43.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.44 ¥234

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.57 ¥580

21.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$9.21 ¥1,496

84.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$2.07 ¥336

-16.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.31 ¥375

54.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.67 ¥272

-76.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$55.1 ¥8,947

-66.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$3.43 ¥557

-61.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$3.00 ¥488

-90.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$17.12 ¥2,782

-69.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.76 ¥124

76.32%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$22.9K ¥3.7M

-15.39%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$17.0K ¥2.8M

40.35%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$137 ¥22.3K

-70.30%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$27.16 ¥4,413

-1.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$26.61 ¥4,324

14.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$55.6 ¥9,034

-5.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$13.92 ¥2,262

91.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$8.20 ¥1,332

-20.61%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$467 ¥75.9K

-8.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$11.3K ¥1.8M

-7.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$38.76 ¥6,298

47.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$10.52 ¥1,709

332.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$41.88 ¥6,805

148.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$55.1 ¥8,955

95.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$461 ¥74.9K

117.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$327 ¥53.2K

90.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$850 ¥138.2K

148.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$649 ¥105.5K

87.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$3,992 ¥648.6K

-2.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,806 ¥293.5K

12.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

1.78

537.08%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Himeji: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Mexico City versus $461 in Himeji. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City versus $34.00 in Himeji. Groceries tell a different story – $292 in Mexico City vs $395 in Himeji – so Mexico City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Himeji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 15%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,185 per month in Mexico City and $1,904 in Himeji. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Himeji, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 35% cheaper in Mexico City – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City and $34.00 in Himeji. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Himeji, where all-in costs run around $1,269, than in Mexico City at $1,456. In Himeji it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Himeji – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Himeji. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.