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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,241 in Kumamoto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,936 in Kumamoto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,630 in Kumamoto.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 33% more expensive than in Kumamoto, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Kumamoto is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$7.00 ¥1,094

73.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$30.81 ¥4,814

69.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$5.52 ¥862

97.46%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$3.21 ¥501

26.17%

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

$1.72 MX$28.99

$1.03 ¥161

66.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.28

$0.67 ¥105

105.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$3.84 ¥600

-9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$2.15 ¥336

170.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.32

$1.28 ¥200

44.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$1.84 ¥287

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.24

$6.33 ¥989

-66.98%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.16

$1.91 ¥298

52.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$18.11 ¥2,829

-31.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$5.27 ¥824

91.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$16.66 ¥2,603

-4.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$3.59 ¥560

-7.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.94

$1.86 ¥291

14.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.02

$2.81 ¥439

-22.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.36

$3.33 ¥521

-26.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.99

$2.10 ¥328

4.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.19

$2.62 ¥409

-27.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.30

$1.03 ¥160

57.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.81

$0.97 ¥151

39.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$3.84 ¥599

41.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$5.58 ¥871

215.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.95

$1.69 ¥263

22.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$1.86 ¥291

155.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.74

$1.37 ¥215

-75.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$61.2 ¥9,554

-64.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.48

$3.81 ¥595

-46.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$1.98 ¥310

-70.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$17.83 ¥2,786

-66.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.30

$1.10 ¥172

47.27%

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

$21.3K ¥3.3M

7.27%

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

$26.7K MX$450.6K

$17.4K ¥2.7M

53.49%

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

$65.2 MX$1,102

$211 ¥32.9K

-69.06%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$24.54 ¥3,834

21.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$32.87 ¥5,136

11.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$44.03 ¥6,879

38.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$10.88 ¥1,699

-37.04%

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

$453 MX$7,662

$126 ¥19.6K

260.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$12.1K ¥1.9M

10.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$37.30 ¥5,828

100.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$934

$23.77 ¥3,714

132.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$60.0 ¥9,367

89.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$46.57 ¥7,275

163.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$473 ¥73.9K

139.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$330 ¥51.5K

115.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.4K

$1,055 ¥164.8K

143.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$735 ¥114.9K

78.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$4,127 ¥644.7K

-3.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,772 ¥276.8K

18.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

1.97

473.60%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Kumamoto: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $473 in Kumamoto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $31.00 in Kumamoto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $302 per month, with Kumamoto 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 Kumamoto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Kumamoto differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,241 including rent). Kumamoto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,469 in Mexico City and $1,862 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $473 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 183% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $126 in Kumamoto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,241 in Kumamoto versus $1,646 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 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.