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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $489 in Kiambu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $759 in Kiambu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,030 in Kiambu.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 198% more expensive than in Kiambu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Kiambu is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$3.12 KES 403

318.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$19.07 KES 2,464

181.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.74 KES 613

104.22%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.91 KES 246

95.81%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.50 KES 64.3

224.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.36 KES 47.14

222.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.73 KES 224

86.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.34 KES 302

102.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$0.64 KES 82.5

157.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.54 KES 69.2

409.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.66 KES 214

12.65%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.29 KES 167

93.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$11.83 KES 1,529

-13.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.76 KES 874

22.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$4.17 KES 539

183.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$3.06 KES 395

-1.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.07 KES 139

69.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$0.81 KES 104

146.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$0.59 KES 76.8

238.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.59 KES 75.7

252.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.76 KES 98.1

198.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.32 KES 41.55

356.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.37 KES 48.13

191.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.01 KES 390

44.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$11.50 KES 1,486

47.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$2.30 KES 298

-24.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.84 KES 367

26.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.56 KES 72.1

-30.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.53 KES 197

-13.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.41 KES 52.6

-31.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$2.84 KES 367

84.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.52 KES 196

-11.84%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$21.7K KES 2.8M

-10.57%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$19.9K KES 2.6M

19.73%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$28.46 KES 3,678

42.97%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$7.90 KES 1,021

240.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$28.86 KES 3,730

5.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$11.68 KES 1,509

351.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$5.93 KES 767

9.78%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$201 KES 26.0K

113.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$7,976 KES 1.0M

31.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$6.26 KES 809

814.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$23.57 KES 3,045

93.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$26.87 KES 3,473

287.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$30.47 KES 3,937

253.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$117 KES 15.1K

759.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$92.6 KES 12.0K

572.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$191 KES 24.7K

1002.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$149 KES 19.3K

716.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,159 KES 149.8K

235.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$123 KES 15.9K

742.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.09%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kiambu: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $117 in Kiambu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 743% 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 $19.00 in Kiambu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $183 per month, with Kiambu 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 Kiambu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kiambu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 198% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 743% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $117 in Kiambu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $201 in Kiambu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kiambu – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $489 in Kiambu versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kiambu but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Kiambu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kiambu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Kiambu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 198% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.