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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,239 in Kawagoe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,003 in Kawagoe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,766 in Kawagoe.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 18% more expensive than Kawagoe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Kawagoe is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.99 ¥1,119

88.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$34.40 ¥5,503

56.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.08 ¥812

85.43%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.89 ¥463

22.84%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.06 ¥169

52.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.75 ¥120

48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.04 ¥326

52.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.14 ¥342

116.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.75 ¥280

-2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.92 ¥307

41.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$7.86 ¥1,257

-75.70%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.50 ¥239

69.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$12.05 ¥1,928

-16.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$12.15 ¥1,943

-33.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$16.81 ¥2,688

-30.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$7.69 ¥1,229

-61.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$2.55 ¥407

-29.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$4.60 ¥736

-56.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$4.60 ¥737

-55.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$3.69 ¥590

-42.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$3.70 ¥592

-38.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$2.31 ¥370

-39.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$1.24 ¥198

-8.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.23 ¥676

0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$8.25 ¥1,319

88.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.57 ¥411

-31.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$3.38 ¥541

6.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.58 ¥253

-75.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$55.1 ¥8,805

-65.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$3.44 ¥550

-59.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$2.98 ¥477

-90.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$20.79 ¥3,325

-73.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.20 ¥192

8.33%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$24.0K ¥3.8M

-22.29%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$17.0K ¥2.7M

36.22%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$84.9 ¥13.6K

-51.88%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$10.57 ¥1,691

153.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$17.16 ¥2,744

74.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$74.2 ¥11.9K

-29.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$14.04 ¥2,245

91.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$11.34 ¥1,814

-44.44%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$281 ¥45.0K

55.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-21.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$42.74 ¥6,837

32.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$30.01 ¥4,801

47.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$60.1 ¥9,620

71.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$96.0 ¥15.4K

9.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$464 ¥74.2K

120.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$325 ¥51.9K

94.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$865 ¥138.4K

146.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$660 ¥105.6K

88.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$2,468 ¥394.8K

58.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$2,363 ¥378.0K

-12.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,589 ¥254.1K

-29.82%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kawagoe: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $464 in Kawagoe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kawagoe pays 42% 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 $34.00 in Kawagoe. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $395, 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 18% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,239 including rent). Kawagoe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kawagoe earns 42% less. 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $464 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 $34.00 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 $1,467 per month in Mexico City versus $1,239 in Kawagoe – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,239 in Kawagoe versus $1,467 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 18% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.