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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $422 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $674 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $926 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Living in Mexico City is roughly 248% more expensive than Kolkata (Calcutta), driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Kolkata (Calcutta) is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.26 ₹312

304.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$11.67 ₹1,118

361.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.96 ₹475

89.92%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$1.78 ₹170

99.44%

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

$1.62 MX$27.95

$0.37 ₹35.65

337.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$0.12 ₹11.97

825.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$1.79 ₹171

74.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

$2.84 ₹272

63.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$0.68 ₹64.9

150.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$0.40 ₹38.14

580.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$0.65 ₹62.3

193.85%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$1.02 ₹97.4

149.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$5.36 ₹513

87.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$2.83 ₹271

185.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.42 ₹232

22.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$0.80 ₹77.1

126.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$1.29 ₹124

55.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$0.66 ₹63.1

207.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$0.41 ₹39.00

417.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$0.60 ₹57.4

278.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$0.45 ₹43.20

211.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$0.34 ₹32.18

232.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$3.91 ₹375

9.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$8.45 ₹809

84.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$1.73 ₹166

1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

$2.51 ₹241

43.43%

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

$7.31 ₹700

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.22 ₹21.02

72.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

$2.93 ₹281

554.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$0.60 ₹57.7

130.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.30 ₹28.36

-6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$2.01 ₹192

171.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$1.24 ₹118

4.84%

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

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$16.0K ₹1.5M

16.83%

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

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$23.0K ₹2.2M

0.78%

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

$40.86 MX$706

$41.72 ₹3,995

-2.06%

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

$26.81 MX$463

$3.84 ₹367

598.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$7.12 ₹682

320.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$16.01 ₹1,533

224.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$11.45 ₹1,097

134.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.13 ₹396

52.54%

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

$436 MX$7,536

$43.06 ₹4,124

912.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$1,560 ₹149.4K

567.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$27.84 ₹2,666

103.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$29.87 ₹2,861

48.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$49.50 ₹4,741

107.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$31.81 ₹3,047

231.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$157 ₹15.1K

550.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$88.0 ₹8,432

616.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$377 ₹36.2K

465.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$194 ₹18.6K

539.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$1,164 ₹111.5K

235.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$588 ₹56.3K

251.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$426 ₹40.8K

161.50%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $157 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 162% 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 $12.00 in Kolkata (Calcutta) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $112 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 248% 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.

Mexico City pays 162% 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 $157 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,467 per month in Mexico City versus $422 in Kolkata (Calcutta) – a 248% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 555% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $422 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,467 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 $422 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 248% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.