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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,325 in Maldonado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,090 in Maldonado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,856 in Maldonado.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 11% more expensive than Maldonado, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Maldonado is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$16.02 UYU 645

-17.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$54.8 UYU 2,205

-1.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$11.03 UYU 444

-14.60%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$4.15 UYU 167

-14.46%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$2.27 UYU 91.3

-28.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$1.75 UYU 70.7

-36.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.39 UYU 96.3

30.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.69 UYU 149

25.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.13 UYU 45.41

50.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$2.86 UYU 115

-4.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.55 UYU 62.3

23.23%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$4.63 UYU 186

-45.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$13.74 UYU 553

-27.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$10.77 UYU 434

-24.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.97 UYU 442

5.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.19 UYU 88.2

35.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$2.39 UYU 96.2

-24.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.57 UYU 63.4

28.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$3.54 UYU 142

-42.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.77 UYU 71.4

19.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.93 UYU 77.6

17.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.20 UYU 48.24

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$1.61 UYU 64.9

-29.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$5.25 UYU 212

-18.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$3.55 UYU 143

338.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.88 UYU 75.8

-6.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.65 UYU 107

35.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.32 UYU 53.2

-71.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$44.20 UYU 1,780

-56.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.49 UYU 60.2

-7.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$2.10 UYU 84.5

-86.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$11.22 UYU 452

-51.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.81 UYU 73.0

-28.18%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$34.4K UYU 1.4M

-45.66%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$35.8K UYU 1.4M

-35.34%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$155 UYU 6,262

-73.72%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$16.93 UYU 682

58.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$43.30 UYU 1,744

-30.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$45.88 UYU 1,848

13.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$29.76 UYU 1,199

-9.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.95 UYU 320

-20.75%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$478 UYU 19.2K

-8.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$7,205 UYU 290.2K

44.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$85.1 UYU 3,427

-33.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$46.83 UYU 1,886

-5.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$88.9 UYU 3,581

15.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$91.4 UYU 3,682

15.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$366 UYU 14.7K

179.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$285 UYU 11.5K

121.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$890 UYU 35.8K

140.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$600 UYU 24.2K

107.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$1,526 UYU 61.4K

155.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,299 UYU 52.3K

58.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$886 UYU 35.7K

25.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.68

99.65%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $366 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 26% 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 $55.0 in Maldonado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $297 per month, with Mexico City 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 Maldonado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Maldonado differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,325 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 26% 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 $366 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $478 in Maldonado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,325 in Maldonado versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maldonado but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Maldonado 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Maldonado 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 Maldonado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.