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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,224 in Ibaraki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,878 in Ibaraki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,531 in Ibaraki.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 20% more expensive than in Ibaraki, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Ibaraki is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$7.04 ¥1,109

86.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$33.98 ¥5,354

57.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$5.50 ¥867

69.64%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$3.08 ¥485

20.13%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.11 ¥174

44.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.80 ¥126

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.67 ¥421

17.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$3.14 ¥495

54.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$2.23 ¥351

-26.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.52 ¥240

78.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$3.45 ¥543

-44.64%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.23 ¥351

16.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$10.20 ¥1,607

-3.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$6.18 ¥974

36.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$15.19 ¥2,393

-21.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$5.34 ¥841

-44.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$2.64 ¥416

-34.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$4.01 ¥631

-49.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$5.79 ¥913

-64.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$3.04 ¥479

-29.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$2.54 ¥401

-11.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.38 ¥218

0.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.77 ¥122

45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$4.28 ¥674

-1.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$7.95 ¥1,253

120.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$2.58 ¥406

-33.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.28 ¥359

59.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.87 ¥295

-81.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$55.4 ¥8,724

-65.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$4.97 ¥782

-72.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$3.00 ¥473

-90.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$20.51 ¥3,232

-74.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.20 ¥189

13.33%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

-16.31%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$17.6K ¥2.8M

34.14%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$143 ¥22.6K

-71.75%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$27.17 ¥4,282

0.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$34.01 ¥5,358

-10.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$56.2 ¥8,848

-7.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$13.78 ¥2,171

92.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$12.46 ¥1,963

-50.32%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$280 ¥44.1K

52.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$13.4K ¥2.1M

-20.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$29.33 ¥4,621

98.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$28.90 ¥4,553

54.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$72.2 ¥11.4K

43.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$87.1 ¥13.7K

24.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$439 ¥69.2K

130.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$285 ¥44.9K

118.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$874 ¥137.8K

142.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$593 ¥93.4K

106.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$4,597 ¥724.3K

-17.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$2,172 ¥342.3K

-2.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$2,446 ¥385.5K

-56.99%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Ibaraki: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $439 in Ibaraki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibaraki pays 133% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Ibaraki. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $317, 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 20% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,224 including rent). Ibaraki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 133% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $439 in Ibaraki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 8% 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 $34.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,224 in Ibaraki versus $1,472 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 20% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.