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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,500 in Male.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $2,446 in Male.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $3,393 in Male.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 10% more expensive than in Male, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 20% above, Male 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$6.16 MVR 95.0

96.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$38.53 MVR 594

35.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$9.94 MVR 153

9.66%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 MVR 75.6

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 MVR 74.3

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$3.55 MVR 54.8

14.08%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$1.59 MVR 24.57

8.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$0.31 MVR 4.84

345.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$2.09 MVR 32.20

-11.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$1.67 MVR 25.81

92.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$1.26 MVR 19.35

65.87%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$1.87 MVR 28.82

55.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$10.44 MVR 161

19.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$6.24 MVR 96.3

62.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$9.46 MVR 146

67.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$3.92 MVR 60.4

-15.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$3.13 MVR 48.29

-31.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$4.09 MVR 63.1

-46.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$2.66 MVR 40.96

-7.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$2.03 MVR 31.32

7.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$1.86 MVR 28.66

2.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$2.14 MVR 32.98

-24.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$0.62 MVR 9.63

117.74%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.57 MVR 194

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MVR 41.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 MVR 30.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$14.85 MVR 229

-63.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$0.66 MVR 10.22

-48.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$30.42 MVR 469

-29.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$1.93 MVR 29.69

5.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$1.99 MVR 30.69

-70.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$9.97 MVR 154

-40.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$0.97 MVR 14.89

67.01%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$31.7K MVR 489.2K

-28.09%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$28.8K MVR 444.6K

-7.53%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$120 MVR 1,843

-45.41%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$30.58 MVR 472

-2.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$71.4 MVR 1,101

-48.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$70.1 MVR 1,082

-13.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$33.42 MVR 515

-20.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$9.55 MVR 147

-28.27%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$187 MVR 2,882

142.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$2,960 MVR 45.6K

351.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$39.33 MVR 606

90.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$48.68 MVR 751

13.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$88.0 MVR 1,356

29.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$51.6 MVR 796

137.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$952 MVR 14.7K

19.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$696 MVR 10.7K

2.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$2,064 MVR 31.8K

24.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$1,548 MVR 23.9K

-15.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$2,266 MVR 34.9K

76.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,376 MVR 21.2K

52.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$813 MVR 12.5K

28.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-19.29%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Male: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $952 in Male. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 29% 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 $39.00 in Male for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $235 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

Male is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 29% 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 $952 in Male. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,646 per month in Mexico City versus $1,500 in Male – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Male runs roughly 41% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,500 in Male versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Male but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Male the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Male is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, 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 Male gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.