Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Isfahan

For one person, living is cheaper in Isfahan: $475 a month against $1,561 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Isfahan
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Isfahan Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Isfahan

🇮🇷 Iran

$475

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,561 per month in Mexico City vs $475 in Isfahan, rent included.

Mexico City $1,561
Isfahan $475

A couple spends around $2,440 per month in Mexico City vs $801 in Isfahan, rent included.

Mexico City $2,440
Isfahan $801

A family of three spends $3,319 per month in Mexico City vs $1,127 in Isfahan, rent included.

Mexico City $3,319
Isfahan $1,127

Mexico City costs about 228% more than Isfahan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 16% above the global median, while Isfahan is 65% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$202

$2.96 $2.96

275.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$891

$12.39 $12.39

295.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$204

$2.99 $2.99

275.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.78 $0.78

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$68.4

$0.98 $0.98

283.67%

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

$1.65 MX$30.05

$0.48 $0.48

243.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.27

$0.49 $0.49

161.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$59.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$103

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$32.92

$0.48 $0.48

277.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$53.5

$0.43 $0.43

583.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.27

$1.89 $1.89

8.47%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$53.2

$1.45 $1.45

102.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$217

$2.86 $2.86

317.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$173

$2.38 $2.38

299.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$270

$10.55 $10.55

40.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$57.2

$0.71 $0.71

342.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.65

$1.30 $1.30

54.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$37.75

$1.02 $1.02

103.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.35

$0.60 $0.60

270.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.47

$0.55 $0.55

274.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.14

$0.49 $0.49

283.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$26.93

$0.55 $0.55

169.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.47

$0.21 $0.21

542.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.48 $0.48

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 $0.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 $0.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$98.4

$2.08 $2.08

160.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$307

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.09

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$78.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.27

$0.31 $0.31

9.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$368

$12.62 $12.62

60.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$38.11

$0.51 $0.51

311.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.65

$0.29 $0.29

82.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$98.3

$1.95 $1.95

177.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.65

$0.93 $0.93

63.44%

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

$21.7K MX$395.3K

$67.3K $67.3K

-67.70%

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

$24.8K MX$451.4K

$59.0K $59.0K

-57.95%

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

$63.0 MX$1,145

$10.18 $10.18

518.57%

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

$28.88 MX$525

$2.00 $2.00

1344.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$617

$7.35 $7.35

361.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,015

$13.71 $13.71

306.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$453

$13.36 $13.36

86.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$123

$1.02 $1.02

563.73%

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

$428 MX$7,781

$71.9 $71.9

494.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$216.0K

$528 $528

2149.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,274

$18.34 $18.34

281.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$977

$24.42 $24.42

120.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,997

$85.4 $85.4

28.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,096

$36.85 $36.85

212.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.3K

$290 $290

266.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.2K

$194 $194

245.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.3K

$1,345 $1,345

76.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$22.9K

$456 $456

176.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$67.6K

$1,175 $1,175

216.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$35.9K

$749 $749

163.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.1K

$205 $205

386.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

26.8

-57.84%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Isfahan: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$671 42.4%

Isfahan

$194 41.5% 71.1% $477

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$327 20.7%

Isfahan

$100 21.4% 69.3% $227

Eating Out

Mexico City

$207 13.1%

Isfahan

$48 10.3% 76.7% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$157 9.9%

Isfahan

$74 15.9% 52.7% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Isfahan

$20 4.2% 84.5% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$69 4.4%

Isfahan

$16 3.4% 77.3% $54

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Isfahan

$16 3.4% 40% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Mexico City versus $290 in Isfahan. 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 387% 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 $49.00 in Mexico City versus $12.00 in Isfahan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $100 – making Isfahan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇷 Isfahan

🕒 Local time

00:42 12:42 AM

10:12 10:12 AM

9 h 30 min ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,961,260

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Mexico City Isfahan 13,440 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Isfahan

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 Isfahan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 228% more than Isfahan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,341 per month in Mexico City and $713 in Isfahan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Isfahan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Mexico City and $12.00 in Isfahan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,561 in Mexico City and $475 in Isfahan. That's a gap of about 228%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Isfahan, where all-in costs run around $475, than in Mexico City at $1,561. In Isfahan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Isfahan costs $475 versus $1,561 in Mexico City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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