Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Lucknow

For one person, living is cheaper in Lucknow: $396 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Lucknow
Learn more

Lucknow Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Lucknow

🇮🇳 India

$396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $396 in Lucknow.

Mexico City $1,608
Lucknow $396

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $621 in Lucknow.

Mexico City $2,549
Lucknow $621

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $846 in Lucknow.

Mexico City $3,490
Lucknow $846

Living in Mexico City is roughly 306% more expensive than in Lucknow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Lucknow is 71% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$1.86 ₹176

470.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$908

$10.62 ₹1,009

355.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$3.23 ₹307

220.43%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.3

$1.57 ₹149

135.03%

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

$1.67 MX$31.29

$0.44 ₹41.97

279.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.76

$0.13 ₹12.29

876.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.9

$1.56 ₹148

104.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.6

$2.26 ₹214

134.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.38

$0.70 ₹66.6

145.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$0.47 ₹44.92

546.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.44

$0.59 ₹55.9

228.81%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.2

$1.02 ₹96.4

183.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$3.32 ₹315

230.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$2.51 ₹239

268.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.2

$1.79 ₹170

70.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.45

$0.66 ₹63.1

193.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.02

$0.96 ₹91.0

111.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.46

$0.47 ₹44.75

391.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.21

$0.30 ₹28.11

580.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.79

$0.42 ₹39.45

328.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.77

$0.42 ₹39.88

252.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.80

$0.30 ₹28.36

323.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.6

$4.90 ₹465

8.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

$8.57 ₹814

87.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.23

$1.66 ₹158

19.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.8

$2.63 ₹249

61.60%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.72 ₹543

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.43 ₹41.10

-27.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$9.07 ₹861

117.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.50

$0.98 ₹93.4

87.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.02

$0.20 ₹18.95

165.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$1.14 ₹108

364.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.36

$1.14 ₹108

32.46%

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

$21.8K MX$408.4K

$11.1K ₹1.1M

95.83%

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

$24.0K MX$450.3K

$22.0K ₹2.1M

9.12%

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

$63.0 MX$1,182

$54.2 ₹5,149

16.13%

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

$27.39 MX$514

$3.74 ₹356

632.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$8.66 ₹822

311.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,107

$15.88 ₹1,508

271.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$6.69 ₹635

253.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$3.20 ₹304

100.00%

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

$432 MX$8,103

$38.90 ₹3,693

1009.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.5K

$979 ₹92.9K

1067.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,281

$23.41 ₹2,223

191.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$997

$25.07 ₹2,381

111.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,023

$38.75 ₹3,679

178.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,202

$25.60 ₹2,431

358.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$133 ₹12.6K

739.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$87.7 ₹8,324

710.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$356 ₹33.8K

626.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$212 ₹20.1K

562.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$1,124 ₹106.7K

223.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$606 ₹57.5K

252.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$331 ₹31.5K

185.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

8.53

33.06%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lucknow: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Lucknow

$88 22.2% 87.7% $623

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Lucknow

$98 24.7% 69.5% $222

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Lucknow

$58 14.7% 70.8% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Lucknow

$51 12.8% 67.4% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Lucknow

$67 16.8% 47.1% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Lucknow

$22 5.6% 68.9% $49

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Lucknow

$13 3.2% 49.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $133 in Lucknow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 2.9 times 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: $48 in Mexico City vs $11 in Lucknow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $98 per month, with Lucknow cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇳 Lucknow

🕒 Local time

12:15 12:15 PM

23:45 11:45 PM

11 h 30 min ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

4,588,455

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Lucknow 14,870 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

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Mexico City
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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 Lucknow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lucknow is about 75% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Mexico City is about 2.9 times higher, 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $133 in Lucknow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lucknow – a meal for two runs $11 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $396 in Lucknow – Lucknow is about 75% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $396 in Lucknow versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lucknow but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Lucknow 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.

Expats usually find Lucknow gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.