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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $442 in Machakos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $763 in Machakos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,085 in Machakos.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 233% more expensive than in Machakos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Machakos is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$2.37 KES 307

454.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$38.19 KES 4,936

40.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$6.63 KES 857

40.72%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.89 KES 244

95.77%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.71 KES 91.6

125.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.50 KES 64.4

124.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.95 KES 252

61.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.65 KES 342

83.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$0.41 KES 52.8

302.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.48 KES 61.6

464.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$0.76 KES 97.7

151.32%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.37 KES 177

89.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$11.41 KES 1,475

-14.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$6.59 KES 851

27.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$4.68 KES 604

154.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.51 KES 195

95.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$0.74 KES 95.6

135.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$0.37 KES 48.17

451.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$0.38 KES 48.78

442.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.73 KES 94.9

194.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.79 KES 102

186.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.66 KES 85.0

110.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.37 KES 48.00

202.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$3.12 KES 403

35.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$11.40 KES 1,474

53.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.96 KES 253

-12.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.79 KES 361

30.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.76 KES 98.2

81.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.73 KES 94.8

-61.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$2.94 KES 379

79.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.51 KES 195

-9.93%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$21.4K KES 2.8M

-10.53%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$19.7K KES 2.5M

20.01%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$34.06 KES 4,402

19.00%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$7.77 KES 1,004

252.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$11.38 KES 1,471

166.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.02 KES 778

2.82%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$47.26 KES 6,109

799.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$8,045 KES 1.0M

33.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$11.59 KES 1,498

403.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$23.79 KES 3,075

87.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$65.9 KES 8,522

56.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$38.20 KES 4,937

184.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$92.3 KES 11.9K

998.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$68.4 KES 8,838

810.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$156 KES 20.1K

1262.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$114 KES 14.7K

972.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$380 KES 49.1K

176.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

14.84

-23.58%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Machakos: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $92.3 in Machakos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 177% 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 $38.00 in Machakos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $163 per month, with Machakos 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 Machakos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machakos wins on cost – living expenses run 233% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Machakos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 177% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $92.3 in Machakos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,472 per month in Mexico City versus $442 in Machakos – a 233% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $442 in Machakos versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Machakos but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Machakos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Machakos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $442 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Machakos hard to pass up.

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

Expats usually find Machakos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 233% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.