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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $1,504 in Ilion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $2,273 in Ilion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $3,041 in Ilion.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 3% less than in Ilion, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, Ilion 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$14.04 €11.97

-5.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$55.6 €47.43

-3.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.51 €7.26

10.69%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$4.16 €3.55

-13.70%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.61 €1.37

0.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.59 €0.50

89.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$5.77 €4.92

-43.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$5.83 €4.97

-20.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.84 €1.57

-10.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$1.33 €1.14

99.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$2.79 €2.38

-29.75%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$4.91 €4.18

-48.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$13.84 €11.80

-27.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$10.95 €9.34

-23.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$15.12 €12.90

-21.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$2.23 €1.90

28.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$2.16 €1.84

-19.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$1.51 €1.29

31.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$2.48 €2.12

-17.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.37 €1.16

50.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$1.21 €1.03

88.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$0.91 €0.77

59.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$1.13 €0.97

-3.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$5.69 €4.85

-24.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$8.46 €7.22

73.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$2.02 €1.72

-12.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$2.94 €2.51

21.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$1.59 €1.36

-76.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

$46.73 €39.86

-59.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$4.14 €3.53

-66.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$11.79 €10.06

-54.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$2.14 €1.83

-37.38%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$28.6K €24.4K

-34.08%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$25.1K €21.4K

-7.63%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$213 €181

-81.06%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$26.90 €22.94

0.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$32.33 €27.57

-8.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$48.30 €41.20

9.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$25.92 €22.11

0.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$9.63 €8.22

-35.83%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$510 €435

-13.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$6,424 €5,479

66.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$91.0 €77.7

-37.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$32.60 €27.81

38.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$100 €85.7

3.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$114 €97.3

-4.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$496 €423

101.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$386 €329

63.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$774 €660

176.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$610 €520

105.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$3,800 €3,241

-1.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$3,102 €2,646

-23.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

$1,346 €1,148

-19.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.8

136.25%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Last update for Ilion: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $496 in Ilion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilion pays 25% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $56 in Ilion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $303 per month, with Mexico City 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 Ilion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Ilion differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $1,504 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ilion earns 25% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $496 in Ilion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $441 in Mexico City versus $510 in Ilion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Ilion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,466 in Mexico City versus $1,504 in Ilion, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Ilion. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Ilion 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 3% less than in Ilion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.