Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Himeji

For one person, living is cheaper in Himeji: $1,283 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mexico City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Himeji
Learn more

Himeji Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Himeji

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,283

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Mexico City vs $1,283 in Himeji, rent included.

Mexico City $1,548
Himeji $1,283

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Mexico City vs $2,047 in Himeji, rent included.

Mexico City $2,436
Himeji $2,047

A family of three spends $3,323 per month in Mexico City vs $2,811 in Himeji, rent included.

Mexico City $3,323
Himeji $2,811

Mexico City costs about 21% more than Himeji, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mexico City sits 14% above the global median, while Himeji is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$8.46 ¥1,336

30.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$31.07 ¥4,909

56.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$5.11 ¥807

113.31%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$2.35 ¥371

56.60%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$1.24 ¥196

31.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.82 ¥129

52.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$3.20 ¥505

1.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$3.06 ¥483

80.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.56 ¥247

8.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.48 ¥233

104.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$4.12 ¥650

-53.40%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.18 ¥344

25.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$15.50 ¥2,449

-24.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$6.78 ¥1,072

40.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$16.88 ¥2,667

-14.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$8.37 ¥1,323

-63.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$2.97 ¥470

-36.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$5.06 ¥799

-60.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$7.86 ¥1,241

-72.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$3.90 ¥617

-50.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$4.70 ¥743

-60.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$1.12 ¥177

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.89 ¥141

42.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$3.87 ¥611

34.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$9.74 ¥1,539

66.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$2.61 ¥412

-27.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$2.10 ¥332

100.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$1.44 ¥228

-76.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$53.0 ¥8,373

-62.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$3.13 ¥494

-36.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$2.82 ¥446

-81.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$15.45 ¥2,441

-65.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.07 ¥168

42.06%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$21.5K ¥3.4M

2.65%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$15.1K ¥2.4M

62.32%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$118 ¥18.6K

-48.08%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$23.44 ¥3,704

21.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$31.67 ¥5,003

8.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$52.6 ¥8,314

7.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$11.36 ¥1,795

-41.37%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$564 ¥89.1K

-24.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$14.7K ¥2.3M

-21.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$49.92 ¥7,886

35.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$35.51 ¥5,611

46.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$61.6 ¥9,739

72.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$99.2 ¥15.7K

13.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$541 ¥85.4K

89.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$328 ¥51.8K

99.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$1,100 ¥173.8K

109.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$729 ¥115.2K

70.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$4,304 ¥680.0K

-16.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$1,725 ¥272.5K

12.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.02

459.41%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Himeji: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Himeji

$328 25.6% 49.8% $326

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Himeji

$379 29.5% 19.1% $61

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Himeji

$142 11% 30.6% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Himeji

$111 8.6% 27.2% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Himeji

$173 13.5% 39.2% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Himeji

$75 5.9% 8.1% $5.7

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Himeji

$76 5.9% 197% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,025 in Mexico City versus $541 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 $49.00 in Mexico City versus $31.00 in Himeji. Groceries tell a different story – $318 in Mexico City vs $379 in Himeji – so Mexico City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇯🇵 Himeji

🕒 Local time

19:13 7:13 PM

10:13 10:13 AM

15 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

535,571

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Himeji 11,730 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Himeji

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 Himeji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Mexico City and $1,925 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 19% 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 $49.00 in Mexico City and $31.00 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 $1,283, than in Mexico City at $1,548. 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.