Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Kolkata (Calcutta) Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Kolkata (Calcutta)

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $423 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $658 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $893 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Living in Mexico City is roughly 293% more expensive than in Kolkata (Calcutta), driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Kolkata (Calcutta) is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$2.05 ₹196

481.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$15.47 ₹1,485

233.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$4.10 ₹393

178.29%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$1.66 ₹160

140.36%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.43 ₹41.44

286.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.14 ₹13.07

850.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$1.84 ₹176

88.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.22 ₹309

83.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$0.64 ₹61.5

193.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$0.46 ₹44.06

606.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$0.72 ₹68.7

200.00%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.02 ₹97.7

184.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$5.48 ₹526

134.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$2.97 ₹285

238.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.36 ₹226

39.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$0.76 ₹73.0

164.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.49 ₹143

47.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$0.68 ₹65.2

247.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$0.29 ₹28.14

606.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$0.39 ₹37.37

387.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.33 ₹31.19

387.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.28 ₹26.96

400.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$5.03 ₹482

8.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$10.29 ₹988

71.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.66 ₹159

24.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.77 ₹265

68.95%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.48 ₹621

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.15 ₹14.16

126.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$2.58 ₹248

706.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$0.86 ₹82.8

144.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.32 ₹30.89

75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$1.61 ₹154

260.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.08 ₹103

49.07%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$14.5K ₹1.4M

57.39%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$21.5K ₹2.1M

24.25%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$55.0 ₹5,278

18.49%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$4.85 ₹465

520.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$6.81 ₹653

445.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$14.89 ₹1,429

301.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$10.88 ₹1,044

144.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$3.34 ₹320

110.78%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$41.18 ₹3,951

1028.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$1,997 ₹191.6K

564.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$24.12 ₹2,314

214.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$23.22 ₹2,228

140.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$33.14 ₹3,180

237.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$25.98 ₹2,492

363.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$152 ₹14.5K

627.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$92.2 ₹8,849

681.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$385 ₹36.9K

557.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$201 ₹19.3K

543.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$1,204 ₹115.5K

231.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$620 ₹59.5K

236.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$406 ₹38.9K

155.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

9.17

23.23%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $152 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 156% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $15.00 in Kolkata (Calcutta) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $116 per month, with Kolkata (Calcutta) 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 Kolkata (Calcutta): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolkata (Calcutta) wins on cost – living expenses run 293% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kolkata (Calcutta) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 156% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $152 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,660 per month in Mexico City versus $423 in Kolkata (Calcutta) – a 293% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 707% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $423 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kolkata (Calcutta) but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Kolkata (Calcutta) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kolkata (Calcutta) delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $423 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kolkata (Calcutta) hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kolkata (Calcutta) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 293% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.