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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,186 in Ibaraki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,862 in Ibaraki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,537 in Ibaraki.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 22% more expensive than Ibaraki, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Ibaraki is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$7.09 ¥1,134

83.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$34.80 ¥5,566

51.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$5.25 ¥839

79.62%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$3.17 ¥507

12.62%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.05 ¥168

53.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.77 ¥123

49.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.59 ¥414

21.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$3.20 ¥512

51.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$2.34 ¥374

-27.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.61 ¥257

63.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$3.41 ¥546

-44.28%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.30 ¥368

10.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$10.20 ¥1,632

-1.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$6.41 ¥1,026

29.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$15.29 ¥2,446

-24.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$5.29 ¥846

-42.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$2.52 ¥403

-32.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$4.11 ¥657

-50.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$6.01 ¥961

-65.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$3.02 ¥483

-31.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$2.70 ¥431

-19.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.34 ¥215

4.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.78 ¥125

43.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$4.19 ¥670

2.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$8.31 ¥1,330

85.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$2.62 ¥418

-36.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.18 ¥349

69.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.84 ¥294

-79.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$56.1 ¥8,973

-66.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$5.23 ¥836

-73.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$2.93 ¥468

-90.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$20.68 ¥3,308

-73.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.25 ¥199

2.40%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$23.4K ¥3.7M

-18.91%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$17.1K ¥2.7M

37.40%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$145 ¥23.3K

-71.79%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$26.69 ¥4,268

0.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$34.05 ¥5,446

-12.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$56.7 ¥9,069

-7.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$13.89 ¥2,221

88.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$12.36 ¥1,976

-50.00%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$279 ¥44.7K

52.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-19.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$29.50 ¥4,718

92.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$29.65 ¥4,742

51.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$71.8 ¥11.5K

45.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$86.4 ¥13.8K

22.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$430 ¥68.8K

131.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$285 ¥45.6K

118.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$860 ¥137.6K

147.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$571 ¥91.4K

119.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$4,080 ¥652.6K

-4.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$2,478 ¥396.4K

-15.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$2,548 ¥407.5K

-56.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

1.78

537.08%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ibaraki: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $430 in Ibaraki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibaraki pays 130% 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 $35.00 in Ibaraki. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $322, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 Ibaraki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Ibaraki differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,186 including rent). Ibaraki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ibaraki earns 130% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $430 in Ibaraki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibaraki – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,186 in Ibaraki versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ibaraki but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ibaraki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Ibaraki 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 Ibaraki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.