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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,221 in Kawagoe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,977 in Kawagoe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,733 in Kawagoe.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 37% more expensive than in Kawagoe, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Kawagoe is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$6.63 ¥1,017

83.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$916

$42.66 ¥6,546

26.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$5.12 ¥786

116.60%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.6

$3.50 ¥538

17.14%

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

$1.68 MX$28.57

$0.93 ¥143

80.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.58

$0.50 ¥77.4

178.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.6

$1.93 ¥296

72.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.9

$2.81 ¥431

109.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.45

$1.19 ¥183

55.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.9

$1.29 ¥198

145.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.18

$3.79 ¥581

-45.38%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.74

$2.13 ¥327

37.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$6.34 ¥973

98.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$6.04 ¥927

67.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$14.80 ¥2,271

8.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.6

$5.95 ¥912

-43.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.31

$2.33 ¥358

-10.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.02

$2.91 ¥446

-27.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$41.01

$3.23 ¥495

-25.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.17

$2.71 ¥416

-21.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.07

$1.92 ¥295

4.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.27 ¥195

22.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.19

$0.77 ¥118

76.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$98.0

$3.99 ¥612

44.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$4.89 ¥750

262.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.16

$1.86 ¥285

11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.4

$2.09 ¥321

120.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$3.09 ¥474

-88.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$360

$162 ¥24.8K

-86.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.89

$3.31 ¥508

-38.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.80

$2.56 ¥393

-77.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$21.09 ¥3,236

-71.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.38

$1.11 ¥170

39.64%

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

$22.9K MX$388.6K

$16.1K ¥2.5M

42.21%

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

$27.2K MX$462.7K

$13.1K ¥2.0M

107.61%

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

$67.4 MX$1,145

$137 ¥21.0K

-50.76%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$22.78 ¥3,496

34.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$633

$33.01 ¥5,064

12.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,044

$44.88 ¥6,887

36.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$461

$32.59 ¥5,000

-16.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$11.43 ¥1,754

-37.80%

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

$456 MX$7,750

$325 ¥49.9K

40.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.6K

$6,361 ¥975.9K

115.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,260

$32.02 ¥4,913

131.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$969

$33.49 ¥5,139

70.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,961

$45.80 ¥7,027

151.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,064

$97.2 ¥14.9K

24.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$419 ¥64.3K

174.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.1K

$281 ¥43.2K

152.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.8K

$874 ¥134.1K

194.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$609 ¥93.4K

112.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$68.0K

$2,546 ¥390.6K

57.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.2K

$1,288 ¥197.7K

65.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$1,638 ¥251.3K

-33.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

1.6

606.25%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Kawagoe: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $419 in Kawagoe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kawagoe pays 51% 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 $43.00 in Kawagoe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $263 per month, with Kawagoe 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 Kawagoe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Kawagoe differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,221 including rent). Kawagoe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 51% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $419 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 $43.00 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 $1,677 per month in Mexico City versus $1,221 in Kawagoe – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,221 in Kawagoe versus $1,677 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 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.