Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Kos Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Kos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,608 in Kos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $2,407 in Kos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $3,206 in Kos.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 4% more expensive than in Kos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 22% above, Kos 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$17.19 €14.82

-29.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$75.6 €65.2

-28.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$12.41 €10.70

-10.64%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$4.89 €4.21

-16.16%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$3.38 €2.91

-50.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$1.13 €0.97

23.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$4.53 €3.91

-26.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$7.04 €6.07

-16.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$2.42 €2.08

-23.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.64 €1.42

93.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$2.65 €2.28

-21.89%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$4.81 €4.15

-39.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$14.26 €12.29

-11.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$10.12 €8.73

-0.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$15.16 €13.07

6.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.37 €2.05

43.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$2.23 €1.92

-6.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.50 €1.29

41.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.99 €1.72

21.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.18 €1.02

80.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.16 €1.00

73.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.13 €0.98

37.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.89 €0.77

52.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$5.39 €4.64

7.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$7.03 €6.06

152.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$2.16 €1.86

-4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.81 €2.42

64.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$1.41 €1.21

-73.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$49.23 €42.44

-56.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$4.09 €3.53

-49.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$1.08 €0.93

-46.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$17.19 €14.82

-64.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$2.16 €1.86

-28.24%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$29.1K €25.1K

-21.39%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$26.4K €22.8K

2.97%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$213 €183

-68.31%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$24.32 €20.96

25.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$36.08 €31.10

3.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$52.4 €45.13

17.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$26.60 €22.93

1.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$9.41 €8.11

-24.44%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$438 €378

4.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$6,914 €5,960

98.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$85.6 €73.8

-13.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$40.21 €34.66

41.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$92.2 €79.5

25.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$131 €113

-7.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$630 €543

82.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$448 €386

58.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$765 €660

236.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$618 €533

109.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$2,871 €2,475

39.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$2,457 €2,118

-13.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$935 €806

15.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.44

154.50%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Kos: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $630 in Kos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 16% 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 $76.0 in Kos. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $302, with Kos cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kos wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 16% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $630 in Kos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kos – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,677 per month in Mexico City versus $1,608 in Kos – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,608 in Kos versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kos but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Kos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,608 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Kos are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.