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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,202 in Ichikawa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,907 in Ichikawa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,611 in Ichikawa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 38% more expensive than in Ichikawa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Ichikawa is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$5.10 ¥796

133.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$32.07 ¥5,009

60.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$4.59 ¥717

148.58%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$2.23 ¥349

78.92%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$0.68 ¥106

144.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.37 ¥57.1

259.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$2.56 ¥400

35.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$3.22 ¥502

83.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.43 ¥223

31.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.75 ¥274

85.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$3.78 ¥591

-42.86%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.15 ¥336

34.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$12.11 ¥1,891

6.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.18 ¥965

62.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$14.88 ¥2,324

6.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$5.98 ¥934

-44.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$2.77 ¥433

-27.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$2.97 ¥463

-25.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$4.19 ¥654

-43.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$2.70 ¥422

-24.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$2.73 ¥426

-30.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.27 ¥199

26.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.82 ¥127

70.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$4.00 ¥625

36.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$6.41 ¥1,002

175.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.87 ¥292

10.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$2.09 ¥327

123.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$1.65 ¥257

-79.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$61.7 ¥9,632

-66.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$3.27 ¥511

-35.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$2.55 ¥399

-78.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$20.99 ¥3,278

-72.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.11 ¥173

45.05%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$21.8K ¥3.4M

4.79%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$19.0K ¥3.0M

40.87%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$134 ¥20.9K

-51.38%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$25.33 ¥3,955

18.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$32.30 ¥5,044

15.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$59.0 ¥9,210

1.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$12.83 ¥2,004

-45.13%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$635 ¥99.2K

-26.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$14.8K ¥2.3M

-10.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$65.2 ¥10.2K

16.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$33.70 ¥5,262

66.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$62.1 ¥9,691

80.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$104 ¥16.3K

15.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$462 ¥72.1K

138.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$325 ¥50.8K

121.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$1,024 ¥159.9K

147.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$767 ¥119.7K

68.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$3,753 ¥586.0K

6.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$1,897 ¥296.3K

10.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.12

433.02%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ichikawa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $462 in Ichikawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $32.00 in Ichikawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $302 per month, with Ichikawa 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 Ichikawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Ichikawa differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,202 including rent). Ichikawa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,803 in Ichikawa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $462 in Ichikawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ichikawa – 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 $1,202 in Ichikawa versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ichikawa but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ichikawa 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 Ichikawa 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 Ichikawa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.