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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,049 in Lome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,501 in Lome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,954 in Lome.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 39% more expensive than in Lome, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Lome is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$2.17 F CFA 1,248

502.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$32.09 F CFA 18.4K

67.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.16 F CFA 2,964

87.60%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$5.62 F CFA 3,229

-33.45%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$3.46 F CFA 1,984

-53.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$1.11 F CFA 636

4.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$0.86 F CFA 493

275.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$1.80 F CFA 1,034

163.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$2.42 F CFA 1,390

-31.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.31 F CFA 751

109.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.81 F CFA 1,037

3.31%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.06 F CFA 1,186

21.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$14.16 F CFA 8,128

-27.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$8.21 F CFA 4,711

0.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$9.37 F CFA 5,381

26.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.67 F CFA 1,532

12.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.43 F CFA 819

26.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.62 F CFA 1,506

-23.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$2.52 F CFA 1,447

-20.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.80 F CFA 1,033

15.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.75 F CFA 1,004

29.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.55 F CFA 313

165.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.87 F CFA 497

24.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$1.43 F CFA 821

204.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$4.66 F CFA 2,676

264.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.38 F CFA 794

25.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.57 F CFA 901

128.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.34 F CFA 194

14.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$53.9 F CFA 30.9K

-65.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$2.04 F CFA 1,173

-34.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.73 F CFA 421

-61.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$5.24 F CFA 3,008

0.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.25 F CFA 720

7.20%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$14.1K F CFA 8.1M

37.59%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$25.8K F CFA 14.8M

-7.63%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$178 F CFA 102.4K

-77.19%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$21.67 F CFA 12.4K

24.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$43.41 F CFA 24.9K

-29.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$49.00 F CFA 28.1K

7.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$8.73 F CFA 5,013

205.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$4.29 F CFA 2,465

51.75%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$173 F CFA 99.3K

147.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$5,151 F CFA 3.0M

103.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$24.78 F CFA 14.2K

131.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$27.41 F CFA 15.7K

66.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$40.82 F CFA 23.4K

154.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$96.1 F CFA 55.2K

12.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$363 F CFA 208.6K

176.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$221 F CFA 126.6K

182.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$757 F CFA 434.6K

178.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$302 F CFA 173.4K

303.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$261 F CFA 149.9K

297.61%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lome: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $363 in Lome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 298% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $32.00 in Lome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 39% 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.

Average pay runs 298% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $363 in Lome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $173 in Lome. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,049 in Lome versus $1,456 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 $1,049 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 39% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.