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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,470 in Leon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $2,127 in Leon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,784 in Leon.

Monthly costs are close between Mexico City and Leon; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, Leon 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$15.44 €13.37

-14.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$40.15 €34.77

33.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$9.04 €7.83

3.21%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.75 €1.52

111.43%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$2.49 €2.16

-35.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$1.75 €1.52

-36.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$3.18 €2.75

-1.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$3.70 €3.20

31.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.14 €0.99

44.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.28 €1.11

111.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.47 €1.28

29.93%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$3.12 €2.71

-16.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$11.88 €10.29

-17.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$6.39 €5.53

31.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$14.67 €12.71

-18.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.58 €2.24

14.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$2.67 €2.31

-34.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.72 €2.36

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$2.47 €2.14

-16.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$2.17 €1.88

-0.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$2.07 €1.79

9.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.14 €0.99

21.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.02 €0.89

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$5.74 €4.97

-26.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$5.15 €4.46

240.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.05 €0.91

62.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.91 €1.66

90.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.37 €1.19

-74.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$26.87 €23.27

-28.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$5.22 €4.52

-73.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$1.02 €0.88

-72.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$44.71 €38.71

-88.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.71 €1.48

-20.47%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$32.1K €27.8K

-40.54%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$30.9K €26.8K

-23.67%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$173 €150

-76.64%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$19.49 €16.88

40.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$30.67 €26.56

-0.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$31.54 €27.31

65.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$6.34 €5.49

317.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$8.57 €7.42

-27.77%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$213 €184

99.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$6,840 €5,923

56.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$92.5 €80.1

-36.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$20.28 €17.56

119.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$75.0 €64.9

38.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$68.4 €59.2

59.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$993 €860

2.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$589 €510

5.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$995 €862

113.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$799 €692

53.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,087 €1,808

81.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,590 €1,377

32.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$1,733 €1,501

-39.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.83

196.08%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Leon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $993 in Leon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leon pays 65% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $40.00 in Leon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $253 per month, with Leon 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 Leon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Leon. 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $993 in Leon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $213 in Leon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Leon – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,470 in Leon versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Leon but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Leon 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Leon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Leon wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.