Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ilopango

For one person, living costs are similar in Mexico City and in Ilopango: $1,548 and $1,619 a month, rent and utilities included.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Ilopango
Learn more

Ilopango Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Ilopango

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Ilopango

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Ilopango actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,619 in Ilopango.

Mexico City $1,548
Ilopango $1,619

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,863 in Ilopango.

Mexico City $2,436
Ilopango $1,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $2,107 in Ilopango.

Mexico City $3,323
Ilopango $2,107

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 4% less than in Ilopango, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 14% above, Ilopango 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$206

$3.23 $3.23

241.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$911

$44.80 $44.80

8.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$204

$4.97 $4.97

119.32%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.9

$2.96 $2.96

24.32%

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

$1.63 MX$30.57

$0.87 $0.87

87.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.36

$0.99 $0.99

26.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.8

$0.92 $0.92

253.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$104

$1.75 $1.75

216.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.90

$3.20 $3.20

-46.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$56.5

$1.49 $1.49

102.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.99

$3.06 $3.06

-37.25%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$51.2

$2.95 $2.95

-7.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$220

$4.96 $4.96

137.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$178

$5.91 $5.91

61.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$270

$10.20 $10.20

41.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$56.5

$2.98 $2.98

1.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.46

$1.95 $1.95

-3.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$37.17

$1.95 $1.95

2.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.90

$2.04 $2.04

7.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.88

$2.02 $2.02

-4.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.94

$2.04 $2.04

-8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.96

$0.93 $0.93

54.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.69

$1.03 $1.03

23.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$97.7

$3.91 $3.91

33.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$303

$11.84 $11.84

36.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.48

$0.98 $0.98

93.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$79.0

$2.05 $2.05

105.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.38

$0.88 $0.88

-61.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$368

$35.26 $35.26

-44.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$37.37

$6.86 $6.86

-70.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.80

$2.22 $2.22

-76.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$100.0

$4.66 $4.66

14.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.50

$0.68 $0.68

123.53%

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

$22.1K MX$413.2K

$19.8K $19.8K

11.33%

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

$24.5K MX$458.7K

$25.3K $25.3K

-3.26%

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

$61.1 MX$1,143

$35.69 $35.69

71.11%

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

$28.58 MX$535

$9.91 $9.91

188.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$645

$40.70 $40.70

-15.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,055

$40.29 $40.29

39.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$466

$10.07 $10.07

147.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$125

$5.14 $5.14

29.57%

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

$427 MX$7,993

$103 $103

313.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$217.8K

$1,882 $1,882

518.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,269

$20.18 $20.18

235.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$973

$30.10 $30.10

72.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,984

$74.3 $74.3

42.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,106

$59.0 $59.0

90.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$19.2K

$672 $672

52.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.2K

$1,002 $1,002

-34.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$43.2K

$592 $592

290.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$23.2K

$619 $619

100.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$67.6K

$1,689 $1,689

113.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$36.2K

$953 $953

103.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$18.0K

$1,010 $1,010

-4.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

88.33%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Ilopango: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Ilopango

$1K 61.9% 53.1% $347

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Ilopango

$249 15.4% 21.6% $69

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Ilopango

$92 5.7% 55% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Ilopango

$83 5.1% 45.7% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Ilopango

$86 5.3% 30.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Ilopango

$51 3.1% 27.4% $19

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Ilopango

$57 3.5% 121% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $672 in Ilopango. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilopango pays 5% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Mexico City vs $45 in Ilopango for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $249 per month, with Ilopango cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇸🇻 Ilopango

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

38,890

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 18.72 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Ilopango 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Ilopango

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Ilopango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in transport. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Mexico City. 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $672 in Ilopango. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $103 in Ilopango. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ilopango pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Mexico City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Mexico City wins on affordability, Ilopango on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.