Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Loja

For one person, living is cheaper in Loja: $681 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Loja
Learn more

Loja Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Loja

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$681

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $681 in Loja, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Loja $681

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $1,074 in Loja, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Loja $1,074

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $1,468 in Loja, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Loja $1,468

Mexico City costs about 136% more than Loja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Loja is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$3.05 $3.05

248.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$20.66 $20.66

134.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$5.61 $5.61

84.49%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$2.22 $2.22

66.22%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$0.78 $0.78

114.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$0.43 $0.43

195.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$1.22 $1.22

161.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$3.23 $3.23

64.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$1.02 $1.02

68.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$1.48 $1.48

105.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.32 $1.32

46.97%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$1.92 $1.92

50.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$5.60 $5.60

95.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$4.29 $4.29

115.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$6.07 $6.07

149.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$1.69 $1.69

80.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.09 $1.09

77.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$1.20 $1.20

69.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$1.12 $1.12

106.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$1.06 $1.06

92.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$1.03 $1.03

74.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$0.52 $0.52

184.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$1.11 $1.11

14.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$5.23 $5.23

1.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$6.82 $6.82

136.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$1.53 $1.53

29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$2.93 $2.93

45.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.33 $0.33

-6.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$30.52 $30.52

-35.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$1.24 $1.24

48.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$1.08 $1.08

-50.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$9.86 $9.86

-46.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$0.74 $0.74

104.05%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$15.0K $15.0K

44.58%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$28.5K $28.5K

-15.89%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$19.98 $19.98

215.22%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$11.49 $11.49

138.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$27.07 $27.07

31.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$29.70 $29.70

98.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$15.03 $15.03

57.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$7.26 $7.26

-11.85%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$180 $180

140.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$1,965 $1,965

481.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$52.8 $52.8

29.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$47.86 $47.86

11.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$79.9 $79.9

34.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$73.1 $73.1

60.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$240 $240

364.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$172 $172

312.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$377 $377

585.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$315 $315

346.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$559 $559

549.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$324 $324

559.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$506 $506

86.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

8.5

33.53%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Loja: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Loja

$172 25.3% 75.8% $538

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Loja

$168 24.6% 47.5% $152

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Loja

$85 12.5% 57.1% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Loja

$114 16.8% 26.8% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Loja

$59 8.6% 53.6% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Loja

$44 6.5% 38.4% $28

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Loja

$38 5.7% 51.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $240 in Loja. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 87% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $21 in Loja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $168 – making Loja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇪🇨 Loja

🕒 Local time

08:29 8:29 AM

09:29 9:29 AM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

180,617

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Loja 3,400 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Loja

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 Loja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City, $681 in Loja – Loja comes out roughly 58% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $1,021 in Loja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Loja, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $240 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Public transport costs about 35% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $432 per month in Mexico City and $180 in Loja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Loja, where all-in costs run around $681, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Loja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Loja – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Loja. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.