Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Khost

For one person, living is cheaper in Khost: $403 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Khost, Afghanistan
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,674
/mo nomad
Khost
🇦🇫 Afghanistan
$403
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Khost

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Khost actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $403 in Khost.

  • Mexico City $1,674
  • Khost $403

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $593 in Khost.

  • Mexico City $2,606
  • Khost $593

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $783 in Khost.

  • Mexico City $3,537
  • Khost $783

Living in Mexico City is roughly 315% more expensive than in Khost, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, Khost is 70% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Khost
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.59 MX$199
$2.70 ؋175
292.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.0 MX$978
$7.50 ؋487
592.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.73 MX$202
$4.71 ؋306
127.81%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.34 ؋152
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.88 ؋122
-
Cappuccino
$3.80 MX$71.4
$1.11 ؋72.3
242.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 MX$30.35
$0.49 ؋32.02
228.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.21 MX$22.81
$0.16 ؋10.36
656.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 MX$59.8
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.44 MX$102
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Khost
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.32
$0.82 ؋53.1
109.76%
White Bread (500g)
$2.97 MX$55.8
$0.25 ؋16.29
1088.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.93 MX$36.24
$1.80 ؋117
7.22%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$52.2
$1.56 ؋101
77.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.67 MX$220
$4.46 ؋290
161.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.48 MX$178
$3.94 ؋256
140.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.37 MX$289
$6.59 ؋429
133.23%
Apples (1kg)
$3.10 MX$58.4
$0.68 ؋43.99
355.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 MX$36.90
$0.89 ؋58.0
120.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 MX$37.30
$0.94 ؋60.9
110.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.34 MX$43.95
$0.52 ؋33.60
350.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$38.08
$0.65 ؋42.28
210.77%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$34.34
$0.47 ؋30.69
287.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 MX$29.06
$0.28 ؋18.12
450.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 MX$24.70
$0.37 ؋23.76
254.05%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$1.87 ؋121
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.78 ؋51.0
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.05 ؋68.1
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.35 MX$101
$2.41 ؋156
121.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.19 MX$305
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 MX$36.87
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 MX$81.9
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Khost
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.30 MX$5.74
$0.48 ؋31.18
-37.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.49 MX$367
$18.31 ؋1,190
6.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.92 MX$36.08
$0.81 ؋52.4
137.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 MX$8.90
$0.45 ؋29.16
4.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 MX$102
$2.27 ؋148
138.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 MX$27.92
$1.08 ؋70.5
37.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K MX$402.2K
$8,337 ؋541.9K
156.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K MX$447.1K
$33.8K ؋2.2M
-29.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Khost
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.0 MX$1,167
$42.02 ؋2,732
47.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.47 MX$536
$13.11 ؋852
117.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.11 MX$642
$95.6 ؋6,217
-64.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Khost
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.4 MX$1,099
$7.79 ؋506
649.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.50 MX$461
$6.29 ؋409
289.51%
Cinema Ticket
$6.59 MX$124
$2.27 ؋148
190.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Khost
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$434 MX$8,172
$20.48 ؋1,331
2020.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.0K MX$264.1K
$1,034 ؋67.2K
1257.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Khost
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.4 MX$1,286
$10.84 ؋705
530.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.8 MX$1,031
$15.86 ؋1,031
245.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 MX$2,086
$57.4 ؋3,734
92.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 MX$2,183
$25.23 ؋1,640
359.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Khost
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,179 MX$22.2K
$31.24 ؋2,030
3674.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$771 MX$14.5K
$15.55 ؋1,011
4857.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,570 MX$48.4K
$77.3 ؋5,026
3224.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,420 MX$26.7K
$46.16 ؋3,000
2975.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,586 MX$67.5K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,064 MX$38.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Khost
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,003 MX$18.9K
$188 ؋12.2K
434.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
10
13.50%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Khost: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$771
Khost
$16 98% $755
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$324
Khost
$100 69% $223
Eating Out
Mexico City
$201
Khost
$52 74.2% $149
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$158
Khost
$49 68.7% $108
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$125
Khost
$151 21% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Khost
$12 82.8% $59
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Khost
$23 6.8% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $31 in Khost. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 5.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $7 in Khost for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $100 per month, with Khost cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇦🇫 Khost
🕒 Local time
04:18 4:18 AM
14:48 2:48 PM
10 h 30 min ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
11,987
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.1 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 65 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.87 AFN (100 AFN = 1.37 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Khost 14,030 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Khost

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Khost: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Khost cheaper than Mexico City?
Khost is about 76% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Mexico City or Khost?
Average pay in Mexico City is about 5.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Mexico City and Khost?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $31 in Khost. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Mexico City or in Khost?
Dining out is cheaper in Khost – a meal for two runs $7 versus $52 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Mexico City and in Khost?
All in, you’ll spend $1,674 per month in Mexico City versus $403 in Khost – Khost is about 76% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Mexico City or in Khost?
At $403 in Khost versus $1,674 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Khost but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Khost the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Mexico City or in Khost?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Khost gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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