Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Lahore

For one person, living is cheaper in Lahore: $520 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Lahore
Learn more

Lahore Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Lahore

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Lahore

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Lahore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $520 in Lahore.

Mexico City $1,608
Lahore $520

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $787 in Lahore.

Mexico City $2,549
Lahore $787

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,053 in Lahore.

Mexico City $3,490
Lahore $1,053

Living in Mexico City is roughly 209% more expensive than in Lahore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Lahore is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$2.59 PKR 716

310.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$14.71 PKR 4,071

228.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$5.80 PKR 1,604

78.45%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 PKR 995

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 PKR 1,462

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$2.50 PKR 693

47.60%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$0.40 PKR 111

317.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$0.26 PKR 72.2

388.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$0.98 PKR 271

75.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$0.74 PKR 206

310.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.18 PKR 327

64.41%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$1.20 PKR 333

140.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$6.14 PKR 1,699

78.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$2.54 PKR 703

264.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$4.74 PKR 1,311

219.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$1.19 PKR 330

156.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$0.65 PKR 180

198.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$0.83 PKR 230

144.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$0.64 PKR 176

260.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$0.29 PKR 78.9

603.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$0.36 PKR 98.9

400.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$0.48 PKR 133

208.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$0.35 PKR 96.8

262.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.05 PKR 291

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 PKR 179

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 PKR 458

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$2.15 PKR 594

146.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$0.18 PKR 50.6

72.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$6.42 PKR 1,777

207.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$0.93 PKR 256

97.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$0.70 PKR 194

-24.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$1.77 PKR 491

199.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$1.39 PKR 384

8.63%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

21.22%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$24.3K PKR 6.7M

-1.41%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$126 PKR 35.0K

-50.19%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$5.47 PKR 1,513

400.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$16.39 PKR 4,535

117.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$20.48 PKR 5,666

187.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$11.32 PKR 3,132

108.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$4.35 PKR 1,203

47.13%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$74.0 PKR 20.5K

483.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$2,052 PKR 567.7K

456.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$18.12 PKR 5,015

276.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$28.03 PKR 7,757

89.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$74.5 PKR 20.6K

44.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$33.44 PKR 9,252

250.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$167 PKR 46.3K

565.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$95.1 PKR 26.3K

647.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$359 PKR 99.2K

621.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$206 PKR 57.1K

581.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$827 PKR 229.0K

338.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$568 PKR 157.2K

275.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$198 PKR 54.9K

377.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

14.05

-19.22%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lahore: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Lahore

$95 18.3% 86.6% $615

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Lahore

$96 18.5% 69.9% $223

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Lahore

$71 13.6% 64.4% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Lahore

$69 13.3% 55.5% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Lahore

$148 28.5% 17.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Lahore

$29 5.6% 59.3% $43

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Lahore

$12 2.2% 54.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $167 in Lahore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 4.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $15 in Lahore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $96 per month, with Lahore cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇰 Lahore

🕒 Local time

07:19 7:19 AM

18:19 6:19 PM

11 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

11,126,285

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 308 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Lahore 14,300 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Lahore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Lahore differ by about 209% in total monthly costs ($1,608 vs $520 including rent). Lahore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Mexico City is about 4.8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $167 in Lahore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 232% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lahore – a meal for two runs $15 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $520 in Lahore versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Lahore but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Lahore 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 Lahore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.