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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,269 in Kumamoto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,963 in Kumamoto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,658 in Kumamoto.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 16% more expensive than Kumamoto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Kumamoto is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.44 ¥1,350

56.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$34.17 ¥5,466

57.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.21 ¥993

51.69%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.08 ¥493

15.26%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.66 ¥105

145.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.82 ¥132

35.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.69 ¥271

84.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.14 ¥342

116.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.37 ¥219

24.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.58 ¥253

72.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$4.11 ¥657

-53.53%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.06 ¥329

23.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$10.03 ¥1,604

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.03 ¥964

34.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$21.17 ¥3,386

-45.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$3.10 ¥496

-4.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.42 ¥228

27.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.41 ¥226

42.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$5.85 ¥936

-65.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$2.72 ¥435

-22.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$3.22 ¥515

-29.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.97 ¥155

44.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.76 ¥121

48.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.93 ¥629

8.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$5.61 ¥897

177.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.90 ¥304

-7.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.11 ¥337

70.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.67 ¥267

-77.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$56.3 ¥9,001

-65.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$4.72 ¥755

-70.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$3.00 ¥480

-90.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$19.29 ¥3,085

-71.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.19 ¥190

9.24%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$23.0K ¥3.7M

-18.75%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$20.1K ¥3.2M

14.80%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$213 ¥34.1K

-80.85%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$26.96 ¥4,312

-0.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$35.73 ¥5,715

-16.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$56.0 ¥8,949

-7.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$14.04 ¥2,246

91.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$13.65 ¥2,184

-53.85%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$408 ¥65.2K

6.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-20.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$43.84 ¥7,013

29.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$29.57 ¥4,730

50.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$64.9 ¥10.4K

58.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$60.1 ¥9,613

75.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$466 ¥74.5K

119.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$325 ¥52.0K

94.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$867 ¥138.7K

146.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$664 ¥106.2K

87.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$4,290 ¥686.2K

-9.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$2,396 ¥383.2K

-13.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

1.67

579.04%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kumamoto: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $466 in Kumamoto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Kumamoto. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $289, with Mexico City 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 Kumamoto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Kumamoto differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,269 including rent). Kumamoto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,903 in Kumamoto to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $466 in Kumamoto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kumamoto runs roughly 193% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $408 in Kumamoto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,269 in Kumamoto versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kumamoto but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Kumamoto 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Kumamoto 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 Kumamoto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.