Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolkata (Calcutta): $434 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Kolkata (Calcutta)
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Kolkata (Calcutta) Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 India

$434

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Kolkata (Calcutta)

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 Kolkata (Calcutta) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $434 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Mexico City $1,608
Kolkata (Calcutta) $434

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $691 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Mexico City $2,549
Kolkata (Calcutta) $691

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $948 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Mexico City $3,490
Kolkata (Calcutta) $948

Living in Mexico City is roughly 271% more expensive than in Kolkata (Calcutta), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Kolkata (Calcutta) is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$2.08 ₹198

410.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$13.98 ₹1,327

245.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$4.15 ₹394

149.40%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$1.66 ₹158

122.29%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$0.45 ₹42.69

271.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$0.12 ₹11.11

958.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$1.95 ₹185

63.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$3.01 ₹286

76.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$0.67 ₹63.4

156.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$0.50 ₹47.52

508.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$0.74 ₹70.2

162.16%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$1.08 ₹102

167.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$5.20 ₹494

110.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$3.00 ₹285

208.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$2.42 ₹230

26.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$0.81 ₹77.0

139.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$1.36 ₹129

49.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$0.66 ₹62.5

250.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$0.30 ₹28.66

580.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$0.47 ₹44.83

282.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$0.31 ₹29.00

377.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$0.28 ₹26.82

353.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$5.10 ₹484

3.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$10.36 ₹983

55.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$1.76 ₹167

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$2.82 ₹267

50.71%

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

$7.01 ₹666

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.18 ₹16.66

72.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$3.12 ₹296

532.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$0.81 ₹76.7

127.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$0.31 ₹29.20

70.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$1.61 ₹152

229.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$1.10 ₹105

37.27%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$13.1K ₹1.2M

65.51%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$23.3K ₹2.2M

3.08%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$52.5 ₹4,986

19.92%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$5.16 ₹490

430.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$7.36 ₹699

384.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$15.76 ₹1,496

273.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$11.45 ₹1,087

106.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$3.19 ₹303

100.63%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$43.26 ₹4,107

897.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$1,997 ₹189.6K

471.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$27.19 ₹2,581

150.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$26.01 ₹2,470

104.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$35.95 ₹3,413

199.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$29.01 ₹2,754

304.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$167 ₹15.9K

565.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$103 ₹9,801

588.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$392 ₹37.2K

560.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$241 ₹22.9K

483.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$1,097 ₹104.2K

230.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$612 ₹58.1K

249.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$379 ₹36.0K

149.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

9.08

25.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$103 23.8% 85.5% $607

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$117 27% 63.4% $203

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$67 15.5% 66.2% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$53 12.3% 65.9% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$65 15% 48.4% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$22 5.1% 69.1% $50

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$6.2 1.4% 75.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $167 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 2.5 times 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: $48 in Mexico City vs $14 in Kolkata (Calcutta) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $117 per month, with Kolkata (Calcutta) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇳 Kolkata (Calcutta)

🕒 Local time

07:53 7:53 AM

19:23 7:23 PM

11 h 30 min ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

4,486,679

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Kolkata (Calcutta) 15,270 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Kolkata (Calcutta)

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 Kolkata (Calcutta): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolkata (Calcutta) wins on cost – living expenses run 73% 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 in Mexico City is about 2.5 times higher, 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $167 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $434 in Kolkata (Calcutta) – Kolkata (Calcutta) is about 73% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 84% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $434 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $800 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 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.

Expats usually find Kolkata (Calcutta) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.