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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $872 in Howick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,336 in Howick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,801 in Howick.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 70% more expensive than Howick, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Howick is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$3.38 R 56.7

284.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$28.23 R 473

87.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$3.45 R 57.8

181.74%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.94 R 32.46

93.30%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.58 R 9.66

170.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.47 R 7.90

140.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.94 R 32.60

63.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.20 R 36.90

111.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.04 R 17.51

55.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.80 R 13.50

238.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.10 R 18.51

70.91%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.17 R 36.47

15.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$4.89 R 82.0

106.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$2.28 R 38.31

263.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$5.08 R 85.1

135.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.56 R 26.17

83.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.09 R 18.34

60.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.31 R 22.02

58.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.14 R 19.16

72.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.86 R 14.42

151.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.18 R 19.76

84.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.91 R 15.29

52.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.92 R 15.42

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$3.14 R 52.7

33.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$4.74 R 79.5

200.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.09 R 18.34

61.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.14 R 19.18

222.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.62 R 27.10

-75.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.66 R 27.85

-16.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.63 R 10.50

-52.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$6.57 R 110

-17.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.19 R 19.97

13.45%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$14.2K R 238.7K

32.68%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$22.1K R 370.5K

4.78%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$146 R 2,445

-72.00%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$13.83 R 232

98.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$33.87 R 568

-10.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$30.79 R 516

73.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$5.50 R 92.2

14.00%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$102 R 1,705

328.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$4,644 R 77.9K

125.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$41.81 R 701

35.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$13.89 R 233

222.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$83.6 R 1,401

23.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$45.31 R 760

138.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$367 R 6,150

172.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$329 R 5,520

88.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$681 R 11.4K

213.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$698 R 11.7K

76.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$758 R 12.7K

409.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$623 R 10.4K

274.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,194 R 20.0K

-10.59%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Howick: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $367 in Howick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Howick pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $28.00 in Howick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 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 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Howick earns 12% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $367 in Howick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $102 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 $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $872 in Howick versus $1,484 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 70% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.