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 $1,467 per month in Mexico City vs $1,295 in Himeji, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,371 per month in Mexico City vs $2,026 in Himeji, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,274 per month in Mexico City vs $2,757 in Himeji, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 13% more than Himeji, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 10% above the global median, while Himeji is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.15 ¥1,303

61.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$34.03 ¥5,443

58.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.35 ¥1,016

48.35%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.11 ¥497

14.15%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.15 ¥184

40.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.69 ¥111

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$3.35 ¥535

-6.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.13 ¥501

47.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.52 ¥242

11.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.81 ¥289

50.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$5.01 ¥802

-61.88%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.47 ¥395

2.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$17.44 ¥2,790

-42.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.50 ¥1,200

7.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$15.43 ¥2,467

-24.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$9.03 ¥1,444

-67.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$2.78 ¥444

-34.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$3.42 ¥547

-41.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$9.74 ¥1,557

-79.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$3.90 ¥625

-45.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$2.11 ¥338

7.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.01 ¥161

38.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$1.40 ¥224

-19.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.52 ¥564

21.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$9.44 ¥1,509

64.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.06 ¥330

-14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.32 ¥371

55.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.66 ¥265

-77.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$56.1 ¥8,979

-65.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$3.51 ¥561

-60.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$3.02 ¥482

-90.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$17.15 ¥2,742

-68.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$0.83 ¥132

56.63%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$23.0K ¥3.7M

-18.86%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$17.0K ¥2.7M

35.89%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$138 ¥22.1K

-70.45%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$27.74 ¥4,437

-3.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$26.52 ¥4,242

12.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$55.7 ¥8,909

-6.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$13.98 ¥2,236

91.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$8.13 ¥1,300

-22.51%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$481 ¥76.9K

-9.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$11.4K ¥1.8M

-8.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$38.14 ¥6,101

48.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$10.25 ¥1,639

332.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$41.46 ¥6,632

148.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$55.1 ¥8,805

91.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$463 ¥74.0K

120.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$336 ¥53.7K

88.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$882 ¥141.1K

142.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$661 ¥105.8K

87.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$4,674 ¥747.6K

-16.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$2,191 ¥350.4K

-5.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Himeji: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,022 in Mexico City versus $463 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 – $288 in Mexico City vs $394 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 13%, 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 $2,201 per month in Mexico City and $1,942 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 37% 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 $1,295, than in Mexico City at $1,467. 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.