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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $417 in Kabul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $604 in Kabul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $790 in Kabul.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 249% more expensive than in Kabul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Kabul is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$2.66 ؋175

391.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$940

$10.83 ؋712

396.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.24 ؋279

128.30%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 ؋153

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ؋110

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.4

$1.01 ؋66.6

270.30%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$0.34 ؋22.04

376.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.31

$0.15 ؋9.87

673.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.80

$0.71 ؋46.73

132.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.15

$0.17 ؋11.49

1517.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.77

$1.70 ؋112

10.00%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.72

$1.43 ؋94.1

74.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$3.76 ؋247

171.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$3.27 ؋215

152.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$5.91 ؋389

100.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.6

$0.57 ؋37.42

428.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.67

$0.74 ؋48.77

144.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.96

$0.70 ؋45.92

185.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.89

$0.47 ؋30.95

325.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.45

$0.45 ؋29.46

362.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.72

$0.43 ؋28.13

427.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.47

$0.25 ؋16.46

484.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.82

$0.36 ؋23.39

200.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.76 ؋116

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ؋61.9

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ؋101

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.0

$2.55 ؋168

70.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$297

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.31

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.77

$0.21 ؋13.80

85.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$327

$9.94 ؋654

88.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.18

$1.69 ؋111

-21.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.89

$0.52 ؋34.44

-46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.8

$2.50 ؋164

110.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.37

$0.98 ؋64.4

36.73%

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

$19.4K MX$339.4K

$7,814 ؋513.6K

148.41%

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

$23.8K MX$416.7K

$31.9K ؋2.1M

-25.30%

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

$40.69 MX$712

$50.4 ؋3,310

-19.20%

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

$26.87 MX$470

$14.12 ؋928

90.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$534

$90.5 ؋5,949

-66.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$923

$9.10 ؋598

480.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$466

$3.83 ؋252

595.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$2.20 ؋145

195.91%

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

$428 MX$7,485

$18.59 ؋1,222

2202.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.6K

$1,453 ؋95.5K

622.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,001

$9.12 ؋600

527.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$796

$17.07 ؋1,122

166.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,819

$32.63 ؋2,145

218.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,885

$27.45 ؋1,805

292.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$85.4 ؋5,614

1074.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$57.7 ؋3,795

978.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.9K

$198 ؋13.0K

965.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.3K

$110 ؋7,199

1012.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.9K

$744 ؋48.9K

422.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.5K

$407 ؋26.8K

399.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$330 ؋21.7K

214.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

18.5

-38.70%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kabul: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $85.4 in Kabul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 214% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $11.00 in Kabul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $87.0 per month, with Kabul 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 Kabul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Kabul differ by about 249% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $417 including rent). Kabul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 214% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $85.4 in Kabul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kabul runs roughly 88% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $18.59 in Kabul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $417 in Kabul versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kabul but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Kabul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Kabul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 249% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.