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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,456 per month in Mexico City vs $938 in Managua, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,361 per month in Mexico City vs $1,545 in Managua, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,266 per month in Mexico City vs $2,152 in Managua, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 55% more than Managua, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 9% above the global median, while Managua is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$4.88 NIO 179

167.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$34.67 NIO 1,270

55.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$7.10 NIO 260

36.34%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$2.44 NIO 89.2

53.28%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$0.81 NIO 29.67

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.69 NIO 25.28

68.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$1.34 NIO 49.13

141.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$2.02 NIO 74.0

134.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.22 NIO 44.59

35.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$2.45 NIO 89.6

12.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.87 NIO 68.5

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$2.27 NIO 83.2

10.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$11.03 NIO 404

-7.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$6.44 NIO 236

28.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$7.93 NIO 291

49.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$3.84 NIO 141

-21.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$0.90 NIO 32.81

101.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$1.84 NIO 67.5

8.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$2.22 NIO 81.1

-9.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$3.90 NIO 143

-46.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$2.19 NIO 80.1

3.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$1.02 NIO 37.39

43.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$1.05 NIO 38.44

2.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$2.68 NIO 98.2

62.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$14.81 NIO 542

14.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.39 NIO 50.9

24.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$2.18 NIO 79.9

64.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.13 NIO 4.92

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$5.90 NIO 216

216.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$1.46 NIO 53.5

-8.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$0.54 NIO 19.76

-48.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$6.81 NIO 250

-22.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.31 NIO 48.09

2.29%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$22.6K NIO 829.4K

-14.28%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$26.7K NIO 979.7K

-10.91%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$98.0 NIO 3,588

-58.47%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$16.68 NIO 611

61.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$37.05 NIO 1,357

-17.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$35.43 NIO 1,298

48.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$15.02 NIO 550

77.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$7.80 NIO 286

-16.54%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$123 NIO 4,501

248.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$5,934 NIO 217.3K

76.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$76.7 NIO 2,810

-25.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$72.4 NIO 2,652

-37.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$133 NIO 4,879

-21.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$110 NIO 4,036

-2.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$258 NIO 9,456

288.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$191 NIO 6,994

226.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$431 NIO 15.8K

389.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$441 NIO 16.1K

176.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$1,189 NIO 43.6K

226.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$647 NIO 23.7K

214.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$358 NIO 13.1K

189.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.25

10.63%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Managua: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Mexico City versus $258 in Managua. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 190% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City versus $35.00 in Managua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $259 – making Managua 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 Managua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City, $938 in Managua – roughly 55% apart. Mexico City costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,185 per month in Mexico City and $1,407 in Managua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 217% less in Managua. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $428 per month in Mexico City and $123 in Managua. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Managua, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Mexico City at $1,456. In Managua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $938 in Managua to $1,456 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Managua. 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.