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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,345 in Maldonado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $2,179 in Maldonado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $3,014 in Maldonado.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 22% more expensive than in Maldonado, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Maldonado is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$204

$14.69 UYU 591

-17.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$881

$55.1 UYU 2,218

-5.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$10.99 UYU 442

-0.82%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.4

$4.53 UYU 182

-10.60%

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

$1.72 MX$28.95

$2.60 UYU 104

-33.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.25

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-31.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.5

$3.62 UYU 146

-4.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.1

$3.71 UYU 149

56.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.28

$1.18 UYU 47.46

56.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.4

$2.79 UYU 112

15.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.20

$1.79 UYU 71.9

16.76%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.10

$4.03 UYU 162

-27.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$14.37 UYU 578

-13.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$11.63 UYU 468

-13.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$268

$11.63 UYU 468

36.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$2.90 UYU 116

14.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.90

$2.18 UYU 87.6

-2.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.97

$1.83 UYU 73.5

19.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.31

$3.15 UYU 127

-22.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.95

$2.04 UYU 82.2

7.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.15

$1.99 UYU 80.1

-4.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.26

$1.40 UYU 56.4

15.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.78

$1.89 UYU 76.1

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.6

$5.45 UYU 219

-0.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$8.01 UYU 322

119.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.90

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-8.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.1

$2.74 UYU 110

73.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.74

$1.36 UYU 54.9

-75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$364

$49.26 UYU 1,982

-56.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.44

$3.42 UYU 138

-40.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.75

$0.43 UYU 17.41

34.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$9.98 UYU 402

-40.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.27

$1.94 UYU 78.2

-16.49%

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

$22.8K MX$385.0K

$27.5K UYU 1.1M

-16.92%

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

$26.7K MX$450.0K

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

-27.96%

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

$65.2 MX$1,101

$113 UYU 4,552

-42.33%

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

$29.87 MX$504

$16.99 UYU 684

75.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$617

$45.82 UYU 1,844

-20.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,030

$48.71 UYU 1,960

25.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$30.07 UYU 1,210

-11.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$12.35 UYU 497

-44.53%

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

$453 MX$7,652

$492 UYU 19.8K

-7.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$225.7K

$6,713 UYU 270.1K

99.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,265

$90.6 UYU 3,647

-17.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$933

$37.96 UYU 1,527

45.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,917

$122 UYU 4,900

-6.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,070

$117 UYU 4,693

5.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.1K

$427 UYU 17.2K

165.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$317 UYU 12.8K

124.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.4K

$910 UYU 36.6K

182.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.1K

$587 UYU 23.6K

123.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$1,008 UYU 40.6K

3.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

126.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $427 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 4% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $55.0 in Maldonado. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $321, with Maldonado 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 Maldonado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Maldonado differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,345 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $427 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $492 in Maldonado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,345 in Maldonado versus $1,646 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 22% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.