Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Jilin

For one person, living is cheaper in Jilin: $722 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Jilin
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Jilin Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Jilin

🇨🇳 China

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $722 in Jilin, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Jilin $722

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $1,195 in Jilin, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Jilin $1,195

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $1,669 in Jilin, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Jilin $1,669

Mexico City costs about 123% more than Jilin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Jilin is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$3.05 ¥20.31

248.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$908

$22.62 ¥151

113.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$5.17 ¥34.37

100.19%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.3

$3.43 ¥22.83

7.58%

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

$1.67 MX$31.29

$0.44 ¥2.96

279.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.76

$0.27 ¥1.80

370.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.9

$1.09 ¥7.24

192.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.6

$2.31 ¥15.39

129.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.38

$1.75 ¥11.64

-1.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$1.61 ¥10.70

88.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.44

$0.99 ¥6.59

95.96%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.2

$1.57 ¥10.46

84.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$15.29 ¥102

-28.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$3.12 ¥20.73

196.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$11.08 ¥73.7

36.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.2

$1.88 ¥12.50

62.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.45

$1.27 ¥8.44

52.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.02

$1.47 ¥9.79

38.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.46

$1.29 ¥8.62

79.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.21

$0.66 ¥4.38

209.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.79

$1.02 ¥6.79

76.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.77

$0.59 ¥3.96

150.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.80

$0.59 ¥3.91

115.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.6

$3.77 ¥25.11

40.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

$10.21 ¥68.0

57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.23

$0.76 ¥5.07

160.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.8

$1.60 ¥10.64

165.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.34 ¥2.28

-8.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$17.48 ¥116

12.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.50

$1.08 ¥7.16

70.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.02

$0.26 ¥1.73

103.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$7.13 ¥47.44

-25.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.36

$1.27 ¥8.43

18.90%

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

$21.8K MX$408.4K

$19.8K ¥132.0K

9.63%

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

$24.0K MX$450.3K

$17.6K ¥116.9K

36.58%

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

$63.0 MX$1,182

$61.3 ¥408

2.79%

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

$27.39 MX$514

$8.26 ¥55.0

231.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$10.67 ¥71.0

234.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,107

$39.37 ¥262

49.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$16.99 ¥113

39.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$6.41 ¥42.67

-0.16%

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

$432 MX$8,103

$440 ¥2,930

-1.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.5K

$17.7K ¥117.5K

-35.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,281

$42.55 ¥283

60.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$997

$32.53 ¥216

63.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,023

$76.4 ¥508

41.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,202

$76.0 ¥506

54.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$244 ¥1,623

356.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$163 ¥1,085

335.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$584 ¥3,884

343.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$406 ¥2,704

245.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$3,551 ¥23.6K

2.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$2,139 ¥14.2K

-0.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$441 ¥2,935

114.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

3.36

237.80%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Jilin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Jilin

$163 22.6% 77.1% $547

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Jilin

$209 28.9% 34.7% $111

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Jilin

$94 13% 52.7% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Jilin

$102 14.2% 34.3% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Jilin

$80 11.1% 36.4% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Jilin

$52 7.2% 27.2% $20

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Jilin

$21 2.9% 16.6% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $244 in Jilin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mexico City are about 2.1 times higher, 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 $48 in Mexico City versus $23 in Jilin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $209 – making Jilin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇳 Jilin

🕒 Local time

17:07 5:07 PM

07:07 7:07 AM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

3,623,713

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Mexico City Jilin 11,580 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
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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 Jilin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 123% more than Jilin, 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 $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $1,083 in Jilin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jilin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $244 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Kindergarten costs $432 per month in Mexico City and $440 in Jilin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Jilin, where all-in costs run around $722, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Jilin 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 $722 in Jilin to $1,608 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Jilin. 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.