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: $1,668 in Mexico City versus $983 in Kurume.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,538 in Kurume.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,557 in Mexico City versus $2,092 in Kurume.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 70% more expensive than in Kurume, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, Kurume is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.03 MX$213

$4.38 ¥689

174.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 MX$934

$43.34 ¥6,812

21.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 MX$207

$3.84 ¥604

204.43%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$68.4

$1.91 ¥300

102.62%

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

$1.75 MX$30.94

$0.68 ¥107

157.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$24.65

$0.51 ¥80.6

172.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 MX$59.4

$3.34 ¥524

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 MX$102

$1.60 ¥251

260.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$31.92

$1.28 ¥201

41.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 MX$54.5

$1.28 ¥201

140.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 MX$37.65

$5.32 ¥836

-59.96%

Eggs

$2.98 MX$52.6

$1.91 ¥301

56.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 MX$221

$18.68 ¥2,936

-32.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 MX$181

$5.35 ¥840

91.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 MX$281

$19.78 ¥3,108

-19.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$59.8

$3.80 ¥598

-10.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 MX$37.24

$1.93 ¥303

9.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$37.59

$2.84 ¥447

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$43.61

$3.45 ¥543

-28.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$36.03

$2.20 ¥346

-7.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.59

$2.66 ¥419

-24.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$28.15

$1.09 ¥172

45.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$23.50

$0.99 ¥155

34.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 MX$97.0

$3.74 ¥589

46.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 MX$310

$6.47 ¥1,016

170.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$35.61

$1.69 ¥266

18.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.8

$1.13 ¥178

319.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.94

$1.47 ¥231

-76.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.07 MX$373

$59.1 ¥9,294

-64.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$36.28

$4.16 ¥654

-50.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MX$10.75

$2.17 ¥340

-71.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 MX$101

$18.32 ¥2,880

-68.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$28.09

$0.66 ¥103

140.91%

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

$22.9K MX$404.6K

$21.8K ¥3.4M

4.83%

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

$26.4K MX$466.2K

$18.0K ¥2.8M

46.33%

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

$64.2 MX$1,135

$194 ¥30.5K

-66.91%

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

$29.42 MX$520

$25.81 ¥4,057

13.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.83 MX$651

$23.68 ¥3,723

55.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 MX$1,038

$52.7 ¥8,280

11.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.54 MX$469

Cinema Ticket

$6.95 MX$123

$7.07 ¥1,111

-1.70%

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

$463 MX$8,180

$129 ¥20.3K

259.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$236.2K

$12.5K ¥2.0M

6.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.4 MX$1,333

$39.05 ¥6,139

93.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 MX$958

$13.06 ¥2,053

315.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$1,965

$25.56 ¥4,018

334.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,160

$32.75 ¥5,148

273.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 MX$20.0K

$503 ¥79.1K

125.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 MX$12.3K

$127 ¥20.0K

448.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 MX$43.2K

$485 ¥76.3K

403.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 MX$23.0K

$322 ¥50.5K

305.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,910 MX$69.1K

$3,829 ¥601.8K

2.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,069 MX$36.6K

$1,780 ¥279.8K

16.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.6K

$1,525 ¥239.8K

-31.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

1.85

510.81%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 21, 2026

Last update for Kurume: September 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,133 in Mexico City and $503 in Kurume. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kurume pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $43.00 in Kurume for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $308 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 70% in total monthly costs ($1,668 vs $983 including rent). Kurume is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 45% 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: $1,133 in Mexico City versus $503 in Kurume. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% 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 $43.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $983 in Kurume versus $1,668 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 70% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.