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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,660 per month in Mexico City vs $1,014 in Maltepe, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,565 per month in Mexico City vs $1,573 in Maltepe, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,470 per month in Mexico City vs $2,133 in Maltepe, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 64% more than Maltepe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 21% above the global median, while Maltepe is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$8.48 ₺413

40.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$31.22 ₺1,522

65.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$7.44 ₺363

53.36%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$3.43 ₺167

16.33%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$0.97 ₺47.26

71.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$0.40 ₺19.57

232.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$2.33 ₺114

48.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.12 ₺152

89.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$0.97 ₺47.26

93.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$0.83 ₺40.66

291.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$2.28 ₺111

-5.26%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$2.31 ₺112

25.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$10.11 ₺493

27.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$5.25 ₺256

91.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$19.07 ₺930

-16.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$1.68 ₺81.9

95.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.96 ₺95.4

2.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.08 ₺52.8

103.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$1.25 ₺61.2

88.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$0.57 ₺27.92

259.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$0.38 ₺18.67

400.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$0.76 ₺37.10

111.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.57 ₺27.86

145.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$2.01 ₺97.8

171.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$12.20 ₺595

44.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$2.06 ₺101

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$2.14 ₺104

118.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$0.75 ₺36.58

-54.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$33.31 ₺1,624

-37.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$1.05 ₺51.2

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$0.92 ₺45.03

-39.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$7.28 ₺355

-20.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.30 ₺63.2

23.85%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$44.0K ₺2.1M

-48.10%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$41.8K ₺2.0M

-36.05%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$81.4 ₺3,967

-19.89%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$11.19 ₺546

168.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$13.60 ₺663

173.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$52.8 ₺2,573

13.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$6.11 ₺298

15.22%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$573 ₺27.9K

-18.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$12.2K ₺593.5K

9.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$44.27 ₺2,159

71.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$35.82 ₺1,747

56.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$82.1 ₺4,001

36.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$94.2 ₺4,591

27.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$408 ₺19.9K

170.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$309 ₺15.1K

133.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$781 ₺38.1K

223.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$576 ₺28.1K

124.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$1,322 ₺64.5K

201.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,037 ₺50.6K

101.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

41.26

-72.61%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Maltepe: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,103 in Mexico City versus $408 in Maltepe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Mexico City versus $31.00 in Maltepe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $232 – making Maltepe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Maltepe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 64%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,489 per month in Mexico City and $1,521 in Maltepe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maltepe, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 49% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Mexico City and $31.00 in Maltepe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Maltepe, where all-in costs run around $1,014, than in Mexico City at $1,660. In Maltepe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Maltepe – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Maltepe. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.