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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,501 in Male.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $2,377 in Male.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $3,253 in Male.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 3% less than in Male, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, Male 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$5.37 MVR 82.8

143.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$29.25 MVR 451

83.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$9.52 MVR 147

1.68%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 MVR 71.7

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MVR 56.3

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.96 MVR 45.72

26.35%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.34 MVR 20.62

20.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.27 MVR 4.20

329.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.86 MVR 28.72

-11.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.62 MVR 24.95

69.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.31 MVR 20.23

42.75%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.80 MVR 27.71

38.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$8.25 MVR 127

23.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.34 MVR 97.8

30.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$9.04 MVR 139

30.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$4.00 MVR 61.7

-24.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$3.76 MVR 58.0

-51.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$4.24 MVR 65.4

-52.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$3.27 MVR 50.4

-38.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.55 MVR 23.89

34.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.21 MVR 18.73

87.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$3.09 MVR 47.69

-52.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.53 MVR 8.18

103.77%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.46 MVR 192

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MVR 42.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 MVR 162

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$8.14 MVR 126

-46.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.62 MVR 9.57

-37.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$29.26 MVR 451

-36.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.94 MVR 29.91

-31.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.93 MVR 29.80

-85.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$9.79 MVR 151

-46.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.96 MVR 14.77

39.58%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$31.9K MVR 492.0K

-39.16%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$34.7K MVR 535.8K

-31.41%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$105 MVR 1,612

-61.07%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$41.36 MVR 638

-35.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$75.8 MVR 1,168

-59.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$81.9 MVR 1,263

-35.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$44.07 MVR 679

-39.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$9.48 MVR 146

-31.33%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$164 MVR 2,524

161.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$3,553 MVR 54.8K

195.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$45.31 MVR 699

26.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$56.0 MVR 864

-18.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$91.2 MVR 1,407

14.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$53.3 MVR 823

102.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$972 MVR 15.0K

3.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$697 MVR 10.8K

-10.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$1,665 MVR 25.7K

26.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$1,442 MVR 22.2K

-15.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,263 MVR 34.9K

71.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,886 MVR 29.1K

7.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$866 MVR 13.4K

19.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

12.4

-8.55%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Male: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $972 in Male. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 20% 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 $29.00 in Male for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $233 per month, with Male 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 Male: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $972 in Male. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,456 per month in Mexico City versus $1,501 in Male – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 57% less than in Male. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,501 in Male, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Male. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Male, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Male 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 3% less than in Male. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.