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: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $1,458 in Ilion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $2,206 in Ilion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $2,953 in Ilion.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 2% more expensive than in Ilion, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, Ilion 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$230

$14.01 €12.32

-6.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$937

$56.3 €49.49

-4.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$167

$8.76 €7.70

9.02%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$65.1

$4.10 €3.61

-9.27%

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

$1.57 MX$27.42

$1.65 €1.45

-4.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.22

$0.60 €0.53

93.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$5.66 €4.98

-43.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$81.1

$5.77 €5.07

-19.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.83

$1.92 €1.69

-10.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.77

$1.32 €1.16

98.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$2.81 €2.47

-32.74%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.40

$5.14 €4.52

-49.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$173

$14.10 €12.40

-29.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$144

$10.91 €9.59

-24.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$206

$14.86 €13.06

-20.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.4

$2.24 €1.97

33.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.48

$2.08 €1.83

-13.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.27

$1.50 €1.32

38.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.41

$2.58 €2.27

-23.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.24

$1.42 €1.25

45.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.04

$1.15 €1.01

88.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.54

$0.89 €0.78

57.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.80

$1.14 €1.00

-6.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$72.0

$5.75 €5.06

-28.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$305

$8.17 €7.18

113.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.31

$2.09 €1.84

-19.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.8

$2.84 €2.49

28.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.65

$1.58 €1.39

-75.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$327

$45.58 €40.07

-58.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$3.99 €3.51

-66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.30

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$96.4

$11.34 €9.97

-51.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.84

$2.15 €1.89

-39.07%

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

$19.2K MX$335.3K

$28.7K €25.2K

-33.26%

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

$23.7K MX$415.4K

$25.7K €22.6K

-7.68%

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

$41.14 MX$720

$212 €187

-80.62%

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

$27.74 MX$485

$27.34 €24.03

1.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$527

$33.19 €29.18

-9.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$940

$47.44 €41.70

13.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$454

$26.33 €23.15

-1.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$114

$9.78 €8.60

-33.64%

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

$437 MX$7,638

$510 €448

-14.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.9K

$6,439 €5,660

62.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,020

$93.8 €82.5

-37.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$802

$32.25 €28.35

42.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,775

$100 €88.3

1.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,863

$118 €103

-9.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.6K

$492 €432

104.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.1K

$389 €342

62.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.6K

$765 €672

180.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.8K

$614 €540

103.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.5K

$3,678 €3,233

4.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.5K

$3,039 €2,672

-31.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.8K

$1,261 €1,108

-14.96%

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Ilion: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $492 in Ilion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilion pays 18% 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 $56.0 in Ilion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $305 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 2% in total monthly costs ($1,481 vs $1,458 including rent). Ilion is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Ilion. 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: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $492 in Ilion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $437 in Mexico City versus $510 in Ilion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,458 in Ilion versus $1,481 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ilion but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ilion 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 Ilion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.