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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $3,188 in Lachen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $5,036 in Lachen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $6,885 in Lachen.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 53% less than in Lachen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, Lachen 138% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$31.38 CHF 24.82

-58.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$146 CHF 115

-63.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$18.67 CHF 14.77

-47.94%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$6.17 CHF 4.88

-39.22%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$5.76 CHF 4.55

-72.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$5.22 CHF 4.13

-78.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$7.63 CHF 6.04

-58.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$6.97 CHF 5.51

-33.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$2.22 CHF 1.76

-27.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$2.70 CHF 2.14

0.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$2.40 CHF 1.90

-21.67%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$8.09 CHF 6.40

-68.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$27.50 CHF 21.75

-63.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$14.52 CHF 11.48

-42.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$41.51 CHF 32.84

-71.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$3.12 CHF 2.47

-8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.84 CHF 1.45

-4.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.48 CHF 1.97

-16.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$4.79 CHF 3.79

-58.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$2.49 CHF 1.97

-13.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$2.28 CHF 1.81

-4.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$2.58 CHF 2.04

-46.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.15 CHF 0.91

-2.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$10.77 CHF 8.52

-61.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$11.98 CHF 9.48

18.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.19 CHF 1.73

-19.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.37 CHF 1.88

55.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$3.93 CHF 3.11

-90.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$97.2 CHF 76.8

-80.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$6.84 CHF 5.41

-79.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$4.17 CHF 3.30

-92.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$78.7 CHF 62.2

-93.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$2.11 CHF 1.67

-36.02%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$39.7K CHF 31.4K

-52.40%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$41.2K CHF 32.6K

-43.83%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$125 CHF 98.6

-67.24%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$59.8 CHF 47.31

-54.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$52.2 CHF 41.28

-41.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$86.8 CHF 68.6

-38.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$22.21 CHF 17.57

-71.77%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$2,828 CHF 2,237

-84.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$35.0K CHF 27.7K

-70.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$123 CHF 97.4

-53.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$65.5 CHF 51.8

-31.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$158 CHF 125

-35.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$230 CHF 182

-53.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$1,667 CHF 1,318

-40.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$1,448 CHF 1,146

-57.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$2,852 CHF 2,256

-25.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$2,452 CHF 1,940

-49.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$13.8K CHF 10.9K

-72.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$10.9K CHF 8,634

-78.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$10.0K CHF 7,942

-89.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

2.5

353.60%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Lachen: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $1,667 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 841% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $146 in Lachen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $507 per month, with Mexico City 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 Lachen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 115% lower than in Lachen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Lachen earns 841% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $1,667 in Lachen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 421% less than in Lachen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $2,828 in Lachen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $3,188 in Lachen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Lachen. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,484 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Lachen 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Lachen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.