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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,091 in Howick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,721 in Howick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,350 in Howick.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 52% more expensive than in Howick, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Howick is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$7.85 R 128

51.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$38.50 R 625

34.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$5.57 R 90.5

104.85%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$2.72 R 44.22

46.69%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$1.16 R 18.90

43.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$0.93 R 15.15

43.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$2.57 R 41.69

35.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.64 R 42.93

123.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.23 R 20.05

52.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$1.02 R 16.61

218.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.62 R 26.32

33.33%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$2.43 R 39.48

19.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$8.32 R 135

54.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$5.33 R 86.6

88.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$7.28 R 118

117.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$1.99 R 32.37

65.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.90 R 30.85

5.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.05 R 33.25

7.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$1.64 R 26.61

43.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$1.55 R 25.19

32.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$1.51 R 24.53

25.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$1.21 R 19.72

33.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$1.18 R 19.11

18.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$3.79 R 61.7

44.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$5.05 R 82.1

249.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$1.50 R 24.34

37.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$1.90 R 30.91

146.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$1.53 R 24.86

-77.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$0.49 R 7.92

328.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$0.78 R 12.68

-28.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$7.74 R 126

-24.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.39 R 22.64

15.83%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$36.8K R 598.5K

-37.99%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$32.9K R 533.9K

-18.60%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$146 R 2,375

-55.41%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$15.36 R 250

95.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$40.29 R 655

-7.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$33.93 R 551

76.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$7.22 R 117

-2.49%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$329 R 5,349

41.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$7,859 R 127.7K

68.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$55.8 R 906

36.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$30.73 R 499

82.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$99.9 R 1,623

11.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$89.0 R 1,446

35.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$436 R 7,080

153.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$375 R 6,089

92.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$795 R 12.9K

218.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$789 R 12.8K

63.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$901 R 14.6K

342.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$682 R 11.1K

206.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.81

-4.32%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Howick: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $436 in Howick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in Howick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $198 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 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,636 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $436 in Howick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $329 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 $38.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,091 in Howick versus $1,660 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 52% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.