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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,260 in Kawagoe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,991 in Kawagoe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,722 in Kawagoe.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 16% more expensive than in Kawagoe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Kawagoe is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$6.88 ¥1,117

89.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$34.69 ¥5,636

54.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.09 ¥827

90.18%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.87 ¥466

30.31%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.01 ¥165

60.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.74 ¥120

56.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.11 ¥343

53.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.13 ¥347

122.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.68 ¥272

-1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.97 ¥321

39.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$7.86 ¥1,277

-76.21%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.51 ¥245

65.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$12.32 ¥2,001

-17.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$12.25 ¥1,990

-32.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$16.59 ¥2,696

-28.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$7.76 ¥1,260

-61.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$2.56 ¥417

-29.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$4.38 ¥711

-54.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$4.49 ¥729

-55.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$3.61 ¥587

-42.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$3.67 ¥597

-38.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.38 ¥224

5.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.20 ¥195

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.31 ¥701

0.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$7.84 ¥1,273

116.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$2.49 ¥404

-30.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$3.44 ¥560

4.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.67 ¥272

-76.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$56.1 ¥9,121

-66.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$3.52 ¥572

-62.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$2.88 ¥468

-90.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$20.84 ¥3,385

-74.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.14 ¥185

17.54%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$24.3K ¥3.9M

-20.15%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$17.2K ¥2.8M

38.45%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$82.3 ¥13.4K

-50.57%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$10.55 ¥1,715

154.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$17.24 ¥2,802

76.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$73.5 ¥11.9K

-28.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$14.10 ¥2,291

89.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$11.63 ¥1,890

-44.02%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$276 ¥44.9K

54.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$13.4K ¥2.2M

-21.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$42.49 ¥6,904

34.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$29.86 ¥4,852

52.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$59.2 ¥9,615

75.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$97.7 ¥15.9K

10.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$476 ¥77.4K

110.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$323 ¥52.5K

92.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$872 ¥141.7K

141.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$658 ¥106.8K

85.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,500 ¥406.1K

55.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$2,117 ¥343.9K

-3.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,550 ¥251.9K

-33.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

467.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kawagoe: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $476 in Kawagoe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kawagoe pays 49% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $35.00 in Kawagoe. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $389, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kawagoe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Kawagoe differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,260 including rent). Kawagoe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Kawagoe. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $476 in Kawagoe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kawagoe – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,456 per month in Mexico City versus $1,260 in Kawagoe – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,260 in Kawagoe versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kawagoe but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Kawagoe 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Kawagoe are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kawagoe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.