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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,178 in Ibaraki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,848 in Ibaraki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,518 in Ibaraki.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 41% more expensive than in Ibaraki, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Ibaraki is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$6.63 ¥1,034

79.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$31.89 ¥4,975

61.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$5.30 ¥827

115.28%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$3.13 ¥488

27.48%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$1.16 ¥181

43.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.76 ¥119

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.53 ¥395

37.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.22 ¥502

83.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$2.80 ¥437

-32.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.55 ¥242

109.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$4.34 ¥678

-50.23%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$2.10 ¥328

38.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$11.19 ¥1,746

14.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.62 ¥1,033

51.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$17.37 ¥2,711

-8.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$4.90 ¥765

-32.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$2.35 ¥366

-14.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$3.17 ¥495

-30.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$4.33 ¥675

-45.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$2.53 ¥394

-18.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$2.42 ¥378

-21.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.28 ¥200

25.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.81 ¥127

72.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$3.78 ¥590

44.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$7.54 ¥1,177

134.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.84 ¥287

11.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.21 ¥345

111.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$1.66 ¥258

-79.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$58.7 ¥9,159

-64.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$4.80 ¥749

-56.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$2.85 ¥444

-80.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$19.73 ¥3,079

-70.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.17 ¥182

37.61%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$22.3K ¥3.5M

2.30%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$15.4K ¥2.4M

73.89%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$134 ¥20.8K

-51.18%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$24.24 ¥3,783

24.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$31.64 ¥4,936

17.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$52.1 ¥8,121

14.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$11.94 ¥1,863

-41.04%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$552 ¥86.1K

-15.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$14.0K ¥2.2M

-5.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$26.82 ¥4,185

182.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$33.01 ¥5,150

69.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$67.7 ¥10.6K

65.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$80.4 ¥12.6K

49.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$405 ¥63.3K

171.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$265 ¥41.4K

171.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$1,034 ¥161.3K

144.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$541 ¥84.4K

139.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$4,081 ¥636.8K

-2.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$2,033 ¥317.3K

2.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$2,572 ¥401.2K

-59.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.09

440.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ibaraki: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $405 in Ibaraki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibaraki pays 148% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $32.00 in Ibaraki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $317 per month, with Ibaraki 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 Ibaraki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Ibaraki differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,178 including rent). Ibaraki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 148% lower in Ibaraki. 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $405 in Ibaraki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibaraki – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,178 in Ibaraki versus $1,660 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 41% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.