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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $890 in Howick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,335 in Howick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,780 in Howick.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 65% more expensive than in Howick, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Howick is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$3.39 R 55.8

287.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$27.60 R 454

93.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$3.31 R 54.5

181.87%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.94 R 31.89

90.72%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.54 R 8.96

196.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.43 R 7.05

160.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.93 R 31.75

62.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.29 R 37.77

111.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$0.99 R 16.30

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.81 R 13.35

234.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.10 R 18.15

73.64%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.16 R 35.59

19.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$4.94 R 81.3

98.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$2.22 R 36.61

279.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$5.07 R 83.4

135.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.54 R 25.42

91.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.15 R 18.95

51.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.38 R 22.65

47.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.11 R 18.21

85.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.80 R 13.19

168.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.22 R 20.09

85.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.99 R 16.26

40.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.89 R 14.71

25.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$3.00 R 49.45

40.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$4.68 R 77.0

274.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.14 R 18.84

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.10 R 18.08

230.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.63 R 26.82

-78.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.66 R 27.25

-16.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.59 R 9.67

-52.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$6.81 R 112

-22.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.19 R 19.52

14.29%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$13.8K R 227.0K

38.56%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$22.5K R 370.6K

4.86%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$145 R 2,390

-72.08%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$14.05 R 231

94.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$33.96 R 559

-10.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$31.23 R 514

67.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$5.56 R 91.5

11.33%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$99.9 R 1,644

325.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$4,572 R 75.3K

134.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$42.19 R 695

38.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$13.86 R 228

221.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$83.5 R 1,374

23.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$45.11 R 743

141.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$369 R 6,076

174.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$331 R 5,444

88.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$696 R 11.5K

204.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$684 R 11.3K

78.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$913 R 15.0K

315.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$616 R 10.1K

242.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

12.01

-5.58%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Howick: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $369 in Howick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $28.00 in Howick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $135 per month, with Howick cheaper across the board.

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 Howick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Howick is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,334 in Howick to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $369 in Howick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $99.9 in Howick. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Howick – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $890 in Howick versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Howick but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Howick the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Howick is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Howick are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Howick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.