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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $423 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $677 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $932 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Living in Mexico City is roughly 245% more expensive than in Kolkata (Calcutta), driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Kolkata (Calcutta) is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$3.16 ₹305

313.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$11.50 ₹1,109

367.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.92 ₹474

96.75%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.84 ₹178

103.26%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.38 ₹36.34

326.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.13 ₹12.59

792.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.78 ₹171

81.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.92 ₹282

62.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$0.69 ₹66.5

139.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.42 ₹40.84

554.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$0.70 ₹68.0

167.14%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.02 ₹98.3

145.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$5.33 ₹514

91.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$2.92 ₹281

182.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.54 ₹245

18.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$0.81 ₹77.7

123.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.26 ₹122

58.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$0.60 ₹57.9

233.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.40 ₹38.91

420.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.59 ₹57.3

284.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.42 ₹40.37

247.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.30 ₹29.38

260.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.87 ₹373

12.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$9.17 ₹885

85.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.66 ₹160

4.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.52 ₹243

42.06%

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

$7.55 ₹728

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.22 ₹21.15

77.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$2.87 ₹277

551.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.56 ₹53.9

137.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.30 ₹28.59

-6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$1.99 ₹192

163.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.23 ₹119

8.94%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$15.5K ₹1.5M

24.94%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$22.8K ₹2.2M

4.64%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$41.64 ₹4,015

-2.28%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$4.06 ₹392

561.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$7.18 ₹692

324.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$15.93 ₹1,537

231.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$11.45 ₹1,104

132.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$3.99 ₹385

63.16%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$43.39 ₹4,184

886.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$1,558 ₹150.3K

573.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$28.22 ₹2,722

102.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$30.66 ₹2,957

48.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$49.15 ₹4,740

111.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$32.01 ₹3,087

236.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$160 ₹15.4K

528.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$89.5 ₹8,633

595.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$385 ₹37.1K

447.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$188 ₹18.2K

546.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,161 ₹112.0K

234.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$573 ₹55.2K

254.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$373 ₹35.9K

178.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.9

14.55%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $160 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 179% 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 $11.00 in Kolkata (Calcutta) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $114 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 245% 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 179% 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 $160 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,456 per month in Mexico City versus $423 in Kolkata (Calcutta) – a 245% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 551% 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 $1,456 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 245% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.