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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,022 in Kurume.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,597 in Kurume.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,172 in Kurume.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 43% more expensive than in Kurume, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Kurume is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$4.85 ¥788

169.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$41.86 ¥6,802

28.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.17 ¥678

132.13%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.10 ¥342

78.10%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.77 ¥125

110.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.55 ¥89.4

110.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$3.45 ¥560

-6.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$1.76 ¥285

169.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.42 ¥230

16.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.43 ¥232

92.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$4.13 ¥670

-54.72%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.10 ¥340

19.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$10.25 ¥1,665

-0.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.12 ¥994

34.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$21.02 ¥3,416

-43.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$3.05 ¥496

-1.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.41 ¥229

28.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.36 ¥222

47.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$5.83 ¥947

-65.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$2.76 ¥448

-24.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$3.13 ¥508

-27.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.98 ¥159

48.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.76 ¥124

42.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.96 ¥643

9.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$6.04 ¥982

181.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.94 ¥315

-10.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.21 ¥196

195.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.60 ¥260

-75.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$54.7 ¥8,892

-65.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$4.78 ¥776

-72.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$2.91 ¥473

-90.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$19.75 ¥3,210

-73.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.70 ¥115

91.43%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$23.3K ¥3.8M

-16.77%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$19.7K ¥3.2M

20.85%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$215 ¥34.9K

-81.08%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$27.50 ¥4,468

-2.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$24.68 ¥4,010

23.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$55.0 ¥8,933

-4.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$13.64 ¥2,217

95.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$7.83 ¥1,272

-16.86%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$416 ¥67.6K

2.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-20.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$42.71 ¥6,940

34.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$13.93 ¥2,263

226.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$26.69 ¥4,336

289.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$34.22 ¥5,561

215.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$211 ¥34.3K

375.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$140 ¥22.8K

344.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$527 ¥85.6K

300.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$343 ¥55.7K

254.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$4,477 ¥727.4K

-13.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$2,230 ¥362.4K

-8.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,480 ¥240.5K

-29.88%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kurume: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $211 in Kurume. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kurume pays 43% 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 $42.00 in Kurume for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $288 per month, with Kurume 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 Kurume: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Kurume differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,022 including rent). Kurume is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Kurume. 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $211 in Kurume. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kurume – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,022 in Kurume versus $1,456 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 43% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.