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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,019 in Kurume.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,606 in Kurume.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,194 in Kurume.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 44% more expensive than Kurume, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Kurume is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.79 ¥766

175.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$41.36 ¥6,616

30.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.06 ¥649

132.02%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.02 ¥323

75.74%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.80 ¥128

102.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.59 ¥95.0

88.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$3.45 ¥552

-9.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$1.71 ¥273

170.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.42 ¥227

19.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.37 ¥218

98.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$4.24 ¥679

-54.95%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.14 ¥342

18.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$10.18 ¥1,628

-1.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.10 ¥976

32.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$20.39 ¥3,261

-43.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$3.15 ¥504

-5.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.43 ¥229

26.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.42 ¥227

41.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$5.97 ¥955

-66.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$2.85 ¥456

-25.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$3.20 ¥512

-29.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.99 ¥159

41.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.80 ¥128

41.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.81 ¥609

12.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$6.19 ¥990

151.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.99 ¥319

-11.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.25 ¥199

188.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.60 ¥255

-76.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$54.8 ¥8,763

-64.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$4.62 ¥739

-70.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$2.88 ¥461

-90.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$19.64 ¥3,141

-72.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$0.66 ¥106

96.97%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$23.0K ¥3.7M

-18.91%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$20.3K ¥3.3M

13.69%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$213 ¥34.1K

-80.82%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$26.86 ¥4,295

-0.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$25.14 ¥4,021

19.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$55.7 ¥8,912

-6.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$13.93 ¥2,227

92.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.52 ¥1,204

-16.22%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$423 ¥67.6K

3.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-20.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$43.55 ¥6,966

30.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$13.64 ¥2,182

225.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$27.11 ¥4,337

279.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$35.11 ¥5,616

200.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$204 ¥32.6K

400.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$138 ¥22.0K

357.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$521 ¥83.3K

310.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$351 ¥56.2K

253.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$4,879 ¥780.4K

-20.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$2,517 ¥402.5K

-17.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,526 ¥244.1K

-26.93%

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 Kurume: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $204 in Kurume. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kurume pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $41.00 in Kurume. 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 Kurume: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Kurume differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,019 including rent). Kurume is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kurume earns 37% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $204 in Kurume. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Kurume – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,019 in Kurume versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kurume but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Kurume 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 Kurume gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.