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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $780 in Imperatriz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,233 in Imperatriz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $1,686 in Imperatriz.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 88% more expensive than Imperatriz, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Imperatriz is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$5.34 R$26.56

149.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$27.40 R$136

96.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.32 R$31.40

49.05%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$1.71 R$8.50

109.94%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.07 R$5.31

51.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.47 R$2.32

138.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$1.75 R$8.72

85.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$2.74 R$13.61

69.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.98 R$4.88

67.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$1.45 R$7.20

82.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.18 R$5.87

66.10%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$1.96 R$9.74

29.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$8.43 R$41.88

18.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$3.62 R$17.98

131.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$7.32 R$36.38

61.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$2.15 R$10.71

33.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.27 R$6.31

36.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$1.15 R$5.71

73.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.51 R$7.48

35.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.19 R$5.90

73.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$1.09 R$5.44

109.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$0.75 R$3.75

93.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.65 R$3.25

67.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.09 R$10.41

104.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$7.64 R$37.98

92.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$1.26 R$6.26

39.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$2.05 R$10.20

74.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.92 R$4.55

-58.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

$39.23 R$195

-52.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$1.05 R$5.21

32.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$0.71 R$3.51

-57.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$6.55 R$32.55

-17.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.08 R$5.37

24.07%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$21.0K R$104.6K

-10.42%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$28.1K R$139.8K

-17.53%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$61.7 R$307

-34.72%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$13.33 R$66.3

103.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$19.17 R$95.3

53.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$22.49 R$112

134.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$21.48 R$107

21.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$6.18 R$30.71

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

$441 MX$7,637

$267 R$1,326

65.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$6,466 R$32.1K

65.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$49.86 R$248

14.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$41.62 R$207

8.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$76.2 R$379

35.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$65.4 R$325

66.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$315 R$1,563

217.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$213 R$1,059

196.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$574 R$2,853

272.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$424 R$2,106

195.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$1,845 R$9,168

103.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$1,164 R$5,788

104.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.92

3.85%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Last update for Imperatriz: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $315 in Imperatriz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $27 in Imperatriz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $175 per month, with Imperatriz 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 Imperatriz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imperatriz is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,199 in Mexico City and $1,171 in Imperatriz 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $315 in Imperatriz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imperatriz – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $780 in Imperatriz versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Imperatriz but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Imperatriz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Imperatriz is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Imperatriz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.