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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $774 in Imperatriz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,226 in Imperatriz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,679 in Imperatriz.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 90% more expensive than Imperatriz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Imperatriz is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$230

$5.51 R$28.37

139.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$941

$26.61 R$137

102.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$165

$6.23 R$32.08

51.20%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$62.0

$1.75 R$9.00

102.86%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$1.08 R$5.55

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.46

$0.43 R$2.21

158.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.5

$1.85 R$9.52

68.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.9

$2.75 R$14.18

68.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.71

$0.92 R$4.76

84.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.47

$1.50 R$7.74

81.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.39

$1.17 R$6.04

63.25%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.29

$2.03 R$10.48

25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$175

$8.02 R$41.33

25.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$141

$3.53 R$18.19

129.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$203

$7.46 R$38.43

55.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.8

$2.11 R$10.88

40.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.55

$1.25 R$6.45

44.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.16

$1.14 R$5.88

76.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.54

$1.44 R$7.40

40.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$37.10

$1.20 R$6.18

76.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.63

$1.05 R$5.41

116.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.45

$0.74 R$3.79

89.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.74

$0.62 R$3.18

82.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$2.16 R$11.15

97.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$272

$7.04 R$36.27

121.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$1.22 R$6.30

44.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.8

$2.04 R$10.52

76.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.69

$0.88 R$4.52

-56.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$335

$38.12 R$196

-49.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.03

$1.06 R$5.44

30.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$0.69 R$3.57

-59.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$95.1

$6.46 R$33.28

-15.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.77

$1.04 R$5.36

25.00%

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

$18.7K MX$326.4K

$21.0K R$107.9K

-10.83%

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

$23.1K MX$404.0K

$27.4K R$141.3K

-15.68%

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

$40.86 MX$714

$61.4 R$317

-33.50%

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

$26.81 MX$468

$13.67 R$70.4

96.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$523

$18.82 R$97.0

59.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$908

$22.08 R$114

135.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$469

$21.33 R$110

25.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$110

$6.21 R$32.00

1.45%

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

$436 MX$7,617

$274 R$1,410

59.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$181.9K

$6,382 R$32.9K

63.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$989

$48.13 R$248

17.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$775

$42.12 R$217

5.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,798

$76.2 R$393

35.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,843

$65.3 R$336

61.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.8K

$315 R$1,625

224.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$11.0K

$212 R$1,092

197.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.3K

$587 R$3,026

263.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.7K

$424 R$2,184

193.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.2K

$1,622 R$8,353

140.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$36.1K

$1,145 R$5,898

80.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.5K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Imperatriz: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $315 in Imperatriz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Imperatriz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $171 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 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,161 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: $1,022 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 68% 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 $774 in Imperatriz versus $1,467 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 90% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.