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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,506 in Hulhumale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $2,680 in Hulhumale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $3,854 in Hulhumale.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 1% less than in Hulhumale, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, Hulhumale 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$5.41 MVR 83.6

139.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$28.88 MVR 446

83.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$9.97 MVR 154

-2.51%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 MVR 70.7

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 MVR 57.8

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.84 MVR 43.93

32.04%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.33 MVR 20.51

18.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.25 MVR 3.86

352.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.78 MVR 27.45

-8.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.55 MVR 23.92

74.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$0.33 MVR 5.17

469.70%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.54 MVR 23.87

62.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.01 MVR 124

25.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.05 MVR 93.5

37.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$8.63 MVR 133

38.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$3.98 MVR 61.5

-28.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$3.71 MVR 57.3

-52.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$4.21 MVR 65.1

-50.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$3.24 MVR 50.0

-39.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.52 MVR 23.44

42.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.23 MVR 19.08

77.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$3.06 MVR 47.31

-54.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.50 MVR 7.68

124.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.23 MVR 189

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MVR 41.16

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.80 MVR 151

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$7.92 MVR 122

-46.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$2.00 MVR 30.98

-30.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.94 MVR 29.93

-84.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$9.98 MVR 154

-45.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.91 MVR 14.12

48.35%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$32.6K MVR 503.7K

-42.08%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$34.0K MVR 525.9K

-31.99%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$108 MVR 1,670

-62.23%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$40.96 MVR 633

-32.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$41.62 MVR 643

-27.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$65.7 MVR 1,015

-18.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$9.89 MVR 153

-36.60%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$165 MVR 2,553

163.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$3,595 MVR 55.5K

191.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$44.10 MVR 681

28.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$56.9 MVR 879

-21.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$90.7 MVR 1,401

13.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$53.3 MVR 824

102.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$1,279 MVR 19.8K

-21.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$774 MVR 12.0K

-19.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$2,878 MVR 44.5K

-25.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$2,292 MVR 35.4K

-46.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$5,375 MVR 83.0K

-28.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$494 MVR 7,632

372.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$709 MVR 10.9K

50.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

12.4

-8.55%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Hulhumale: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $1,279 in Hulhumale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 51% 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 $29.00 in Hulhumale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $221 per month, with Hulhumale 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 Hulhumale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Hulhumale. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Mexico City pays 51% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $1,279 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $165 in Hulhumale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $29.00 in Hulhumale. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,506 in Hulhumale, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Hulhumale. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,484 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Hulhumale 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.