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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $486 in Kiambu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $750 in Kiambu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,014 in Kiambu.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 202% more expensive than Kiambu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Kiambu is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.16 KES 410

317.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$19.55 KES 2,533

175.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.55 KES 589

107.03%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.91 KES 247

85.86%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.54 KES 70.2

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.34 KES 43.48

226.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.76 KES 228

77.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.26 KES 293

104.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$0.68 KES 88.3

150.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.53 KES 68.1

413.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.66 KES 216

15.06%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.36 KES 176

86.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$11.74 KES 1,522

-14.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.55 KES 848

23.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$4.15 KES 537

180.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.04 KES 394

-2.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.09 KES 141

66.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$0.78 KES 102

157.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$0.56 KES 72.7

262.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.55 KES 70.7

285.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$0.76 KES 98.5

198.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.32 KES 41.56

337.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.40 KES 52.0

182.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.01 KES 390

41.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$11.43 KES 1,481

36.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$2.19 KES 284

-19.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.79 KES 362

29.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.56 KES 72.1

-32.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.59 KES 207

-13.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.37 KES 48.56

-24.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.85 KES 369

91.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.53 KES 198

-15.03%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$21.9K KES 2.8M

-14.66%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$19.7K KES 2.6M

17.23%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$28.59 KES 3,704

42.92%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$7.60 KES 984

252.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$29.32 KES 3,799

2.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$11.59 KES 1,502

348.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.64 KES 731

11.70%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$204 KES 26.5K

113.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$8,097 KES 1.0M

28.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$6.24 KES 808

807.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$23.84 KES 3,088

86.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$27.40 KES 3,550

275.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$30.38 KES 3,936

247.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$115 KES 14.9K

787.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$92.7 KES 12.0K

580.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$191 KES 24.8K

1017.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$146 KES 18.9K

750.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,137 KES 147.2K

243.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$122 KES 15.8K

812.33%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kiambu: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $115 in Kiambu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 812% 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 $20.00 in Kiambu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $181 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 202% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 812% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $115 in Kiambu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $204 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 $20.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $486 in Kiambu versus $1,467 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 202% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.