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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $416 in Kabul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $602 in Kabul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $787 in Kabul.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 253% more expensive than Kabul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Kabul is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$2.53 ؋161

420.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$10.74 ؋682

401.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.37 ؋278

115.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ؋143

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ؋107

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.01 ؋64.0

251.49%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.36 ؋22.93

350.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.13 ؋8.10

753.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$0.71 ؋44.85

139.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.21 ؋13.14

1195.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.70 ؋108

12.35%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.42 ؋90.0

78.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$3.84 ؋244

161.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.35 ؋213

141.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.00 ؋381

93.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$0.53 ؋33.75

460.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$0.80 ؋50.8

126.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$0.75 ؋47.84

168.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$0.46 ؋29.36

341.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.48 ؋30.44

341.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$0.43 ؋26.99

427.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.23 ؋14.60

508.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.33 ؋20.72

242.42%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.97 ؋125

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ؋59.5

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ؋93.9

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.64 ؋168

61.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.21 ؋13.31

80.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$9.87 ؋627

94.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.76 ؋112

-21.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.55 ؋35.21

-49.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.59 ؋164

110.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.95 ؋60.1

36.84%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$7,763 ؋493.0K

140.71%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$32.1K ؋2.0M

-28.04%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$50.3 ؋3,196

-18.80%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$13.77 ؋874

94.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$91.6 ؋5,819

-67.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$9.06 ؋575

474.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$3.88 ؋247

591.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$2.21 ؋140

185.07%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$18.18 ؋1,155

2298.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$1,414 ؋89.8K

636.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$9.57 ؋608

491.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$17.44 ؋1,108

154.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$32.79 ؋2,082

213.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$28.41 ؋1,804

271.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$85.0 ؋5,398

1102.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$58.5 ؋3,715

978.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$203 ؋12.9K

954.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$111 ؋7,037

1021.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$732 ؋46.5K

433.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$410 ؋26.1K

402.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$351 ؋22.3K

217.44%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kabul: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $85.0 in Kabul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 217% 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 $288 vs $88.0 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 253% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $416 including rent). Kabul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 217% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $85.0 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 94% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $18.18 in Kabul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $416 in Kabul versus $1,467 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 253% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.