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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,779 in Mahe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,453 in Mahe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $3,128 in Mahe.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 18% less than in Mahe, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Mahe 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$15.43 SCR 223

-14.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$69.8 SCR 1,010

-22.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.22 SCR 119

14.60%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$4.38 SCR 63.4

-18.95%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$2.37 SCR 34.24

-31.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$1.81 SCR 26.20

-38.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$8.24 SCR 119

-62.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$5.18 SCR 75.0

-10.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.59 SCR 23.04

6.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.09 SCR 15.79

149.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.73 SCR 24.99

10.40%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$4.16 SCR 60.2

-38.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$15.63 SCR 226

-35.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.88 SCR 114

2.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$12.51 SCR 181

-7.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.06 SCR 29.77

44.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$2.23 SCR 32.29

-9.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$5.15 SCR 74.5

-60.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$0.96 SCR 13.83

120.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$0.96 SCR 13.84

136.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.06 SCR 15.34

32.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$12.15 SCR 176

-64.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.11 SCR 30.56

-16.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.06 SCR 29.81

74.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.85 SCR 12.24

-55.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$23.89 SCR 346

-19.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$10.24 SCR 148

-86.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$3.21 SCR 46.39

-91.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$10.20 SCR 148

-46.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.56 SCR 22.58

-16.67%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

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

$40.86 MX$708

$84.0 SCR 1,216

-51.35%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$21.09 SCR 305

27.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$161 SCR 2,324

-81.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$52.5 SCR 760

-0.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.28 SCR 91.0

0.32%

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

$436 MX$7,558

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$27.27 SCR 395

107.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$10.82 SCR 157

310.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$43.47 SCR 629

136.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$55.2 SCR 799

91.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$815 SCR 11.8K

25.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$852 SCR 12.3K

-25.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$1,740 SCR 25.2K

22.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$1,031 SCR 14.9K

20.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$897 SCR 13.0K

24.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mahe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $815 in Mahe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $70.0 in Mahe. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $243, with Mahe cheaper for home cooking.

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 Mahe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Mahe. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Mexico City pays 24% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $815 in Mahe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mahe pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,467 per month in Mexico City versus $1,779 in Mahe – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,779 in Mahe, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Mahe. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,467 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Mahe 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Mahe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.