Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Las Tablas

For one person, living is cheaper in Las Tablas: $456 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Las Tablas

🇵🇦 Panama

$456

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Las Tablas

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 Las Tablas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $456 in Las Tablas, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Las Tablas $456

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $678 in Las Tablas, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Las Tablas $678

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $901 in Las Tablas, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Las Tablas $901

Mexico City costs about 253% more than Las Tablas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Las Tablas is 67% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$9.89 PAB 9.89

7.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$29.99 PAB 29.99

61.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$8.48 PAB 8.48

22.05%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$0.98 PAB 0.98

70.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$1.02 PAB 1.02

24.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$1.28 PAB 1.28

149.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$2.73 PAB 2.73

94.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$1.90 PAB 1.90

60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$2.10 PAB 2.10

37.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$4.51 PAB 4.51

-32.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.25 PAB 1.25

55.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$1.50 PAB 1.50

54.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$1.22 PAB 1.22

21.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$0.98 PAB 0.98

29.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$5.72 PAB 5.72

181.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$1.30 PAB 1.30

52.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$1.73 PAB 1.73

145.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$0.98 PAB 0.98

87.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$0.92 PAB 0.92

64.13%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$147 PAB 147

-57.22%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$22.97 PAB 22.97

19.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$37.35 PAB 37.35

-4.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$19.79 PAB 19.79

197.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

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

$432 MX$8,045

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Las Tablas: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Las Tablas

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Las Tablas

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Las Tablas

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Las Tablas

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Las Tablas

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Las Tablas

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Las Tablas

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $30 in Las Tablas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $103 – making Las Tablas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇦 Las Tablas

🕒 Local time

11:48 11:48 AM

12:48 12:48 PM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

8,939

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, 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).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.11 PAB (1 PAB = 0.898 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Las Tablas 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Las Tablas

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 Las Tablas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 253% more than Las Tablas, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $684 in Las Tablas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $456 in Las Tablas. That’s a gap of about 253%.

Groceries cost about 210% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Las Tablas, where all-in costs run around $456, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Las Tablas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $456 in Las Tablas to $1,608 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.