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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,028 in Lome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,342 in Mexico City versus $1,520 in Lome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Mexico City versus $2,012 in Lome.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 44% more expensive than Lome, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Lome is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.29 MX$231

$2.18 F CFA 1,219

509.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$933

$31.89 F CFA 17.8K

68.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 MX$161

$5.15 F CFA 2,876

80.39%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$5.90 F CFA 3,291

-38.81%

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

$1.56 MX$27.03

$3.38 F CFA 1,888

-53.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.46

$1.11 F CFA 621

0.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 MX$54.3

$0.84 F CFA 472

272.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 MX$81.7

$1.71 F CFA 955

175.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.54

$2.42 F CFA 1,353

-29.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 MX$48.03

$1.26 F CFA 706

119.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.05

$1.85 F CFA 1,031

5.95%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.21

$2.06 F CFA 1,148

26.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 MX$173

$14.08 F CFA 7,859

-29.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 MX$141

$8.50 F CFA 4,746

-4.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 MX$200

$8.91 F CFA 4,974

29.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MX$49.84

$2.63 F CFA 1,471

9.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.07

$1.51 F CFA 842

14.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.73

$2.69 F CFA 1,504

-25.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.43 F CFA 1,358

-16.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.14

$1.80 F CFA 1,007

15.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 MX$38.12

$1.75 F CFA 975

25.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.24

$0.52 F CFA 289

178.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.86 F CFA 479

24.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.2

$1.38 F CFA 773

209.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 MX$249

$4.83 F CFA 2,699

196.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.62

$1.36 F CFA 760

29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 MX$64.2

$1.50 F CFA 839

146.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.12

$0.34 F CFA 190

2.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$333

$52.2 F CFA 29.1K

-63.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 MX$23.18

$2.10 F CFA 1,172

-36.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$0.74 F CFA 415

-62.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 MX$92.6

$5.27 F CFA 2,941

1.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.19 F CFA 666

12.61%

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

$19.1K MX$332.0K

$14.1K F CFA 7.9M

35.20%

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

$23.9K MX$414.5K

$25.6K F CFA 14.3M

-6.77%

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

$39.86 MX$692

$172 F CFA 96.0K

-76.82%

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

$26.78 MX$465

$22.30 F CFA 12.4K

20.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.36 MX$510

$43.33 F CFA 24.2K

-32.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$927

$49.05 F CFA 27.4K

8.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.09 MX$453

$9.08 F CFA 5,069

187.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$111

$4.31 F CFA 2,404

48.49%

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

$440 MX$7,647

$178 F CFA 99.5K

147.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MX$186.6K

$5,148 F CFA 2.9M

108.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 MX$1,000

$24.52 F CFA 13.7K

134.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.02 MX$781

$27.17 F CFA 15.2K

65.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,801

$40.81 F CFA 22.8K

154.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,874

$94.2 F CFA 52.6K

14.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 MX$17.6K

$358 F CFA 199.9K

182.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 MX$10.9K

$221 F CFA 123.2K

185.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 MX$37.5K

$764 F CFA 426.4K

183.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 MX$21.2K

$300 F CFA 167.7K

306.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,793 MX$65.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 MX$18.7K

$264 F CFA 147.4K

307.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

41.75%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Last update for Lome: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,013 in Mexico City and $358 in Lome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 307% 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: $54 in Mexico City vs $32 in Lome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $250 per month, with Lome 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 Lome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lome wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lome the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Mexico City pays 307% more on average, 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: $1,013 in Mexico City versus $358 in Lome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $440 in Mexico City versus $178 in Lome. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,028 in Lome versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lome but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Lome the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lome delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,028 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lome hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Lome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.