Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Iquitos

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $656 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Iquitos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,674 per month in Mexico City vs $656 in Iquitos, rent included.

Mexico City $1,674
Iquitos $656

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Mexico City vs $1,177 in Iquitos, rent included.

Mexico City $2,606
Iquitos $1,177

A family of three spends $3,537 per month in Mexico City vs $1,697 in Iquitos, rent included.

Mexico City $3,537
Iquitos $1,697

Mexico City costs about 155% more than Iquitos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 24% above the global median, while Iquitos is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$199

$4.23 PEN 14.56

150.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$976

$37.33 PEN 128

39.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$201

$7.07 PEN 24.34

51.77%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$71.3

$3.41 PEN 11.75

11.44%

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

$1.61 MX$30.28

$0.83 PEN 2.85

93.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.76

$0.59 PEN 2.05

105.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.7

$2.92 PEN 10.06

8.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$102

$7.19 PEN 24.74

-24.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.26

$1.69 PEN 5.82

1.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.7

$2.26 PEN 7.78

31.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$36.17

Eggs

$2.77 MX$52.1

$2.60 PEN 8.95

6.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$219

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$178

$3.21 PEN 11.03

195.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$289

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$58.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.82

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$37.22

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.86

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.00

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.26

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$29.00

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.64

$0.91 PEN 3.14

43.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$100

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$304

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.72

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$366

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$36.01

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$102

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.86

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

$21.4K MX$401.4K

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

$23.8K MX$446.1K

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

$62.0 MX$1,164

$35.08 PEN 121

76.71%

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

$28.47 MX$535

$11.15 PEN 38.36

155.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$641

$8.58 PEN 29.54

297.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,097

$29.56 PEN 102

97.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$460

$8.89 PEN 30.60

175.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$124

$5.63 PEN 19.37

17.05%

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

$434 MX$8,155

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$263.6K

$2,760 PEN 9,499

408.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,284

$87.4 PEN 301

-21.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,029

$34.33 PEN 118

59.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,082

$52.4 PEN 180

111.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,178

$26.33 PEN 90.6

340.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$22.1K

$347 PEN 1,195

239.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.5K

$262 PEN 902

194.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$48.3K

$858 PEN 2,952

199.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.7K

$718 PEN 2,471

97.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.8K

$580 PEN 1,994

73.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Iquitos: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Iquitos

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Iquitos

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Iquitos

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Iquitos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Iquitos

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Iquitos

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Iquitos

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,179 in Mexico City versus $347 in Iquitos. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 73% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Mexico City versus $37 in Iquitos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $77 – making Iquitos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🕒 Local time

03:08 3:08 AM

04:08 4:08 AM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

32,853

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.87 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Iquitos 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Iquitos

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 Iquitos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 155%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,510 per month in Mexico City and $983 in Iquitos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iquitos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $347 there versus $1,179 in Mexico City.

Groceries cost about 321% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Mexico City and $37 in Iquitos. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Iquitos, where all-in costs run around $656, than in Mexico City at $1,674. In Iquitos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $656 in Iquitos to $1,674 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Iquitos. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.