Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Manta

For one person, living is cheaper in Manta: $670 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Manta
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Manta Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Manta

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$670

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Manta

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Manta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $670 in Manta.

Mexico City $1,608
Manta $670

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,152 in Manta.

Mexico City $2,549
Manta $1,152

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,634 in Manta.

Mexico City $3,490
Manta $1,634

Living in Mexico City is roughly 140% more expensive than in Manta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Manta is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$3.04 $3.04

249.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$51.9 $51.9

-6.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$5.18 $5.18

99.81%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$2.81 $2.81

31.32%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$0.48 $0.48

247.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$0.42 $0.42

202.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$2.92 $2.92

9.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$3.86 $3.86

37.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$0.98 $0.98

75.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$2.00 $2.00

52.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$0.98 $0.98

97.96%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$2.11 $2.11

36.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$3.08 $3.08

256.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$3.07 $3.07

201.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$6.88 $6.88

119.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$0.97 $0.97

214.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$0.72 $0.72

169.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$0.73 $0.73

178.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$0.77 $0.77

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$0.49 $0.49

316.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$0.49 $0.49

267.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$0.65 $0.65

127.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$1.02 $1.02

24.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$4.02 $4.02

31.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$6.81 $6.81

136.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$1.01 $1.01

96.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$2.22 $2.22

91.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.50 $0.50

-38.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$1.79 $1.79

2.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$1.77 $1.77

-70.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$9.28 $9.28

-42.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$0.74 $0.74

104.05%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$22.7K $22.7K

-4.19%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$30.5K $30.5K

-21.33%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$93.6 $93.6

-32.68%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$11.20 $11.20

144.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$26.03 $26.03

37.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$19.90 $19.90

196.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$35.50 $35.50

-33.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$5.10 $5.10

25.49%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$370 $370

16.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$5,708 $5,708

100.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$55.4 $55.4

23.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$39.90 $39.90

33.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$99.3 $99.3

8.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$62.1 $62.1

88.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$306 $306

264.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$137 $137

416.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$916 $916

182.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$337 $337

316.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$478 $478

97.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

10.05

12.94%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Manta: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Manta

$137 20.5% 80.7% $573

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Manta

$144 21.5% 55% $176

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Manta

$100 14.9% 49.9% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Manta

$116 17.3% 25.9% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Manta

$131 19.5% 3.8% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Manta

$30 4.5% 58.1% $42

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Manta

$13 * 1.9% 50.5% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $306 in Manta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 98% 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: $48 in Mexico City vs $52 in Manta. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $144, with Manta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇪🇨 Manta

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

02:04 2:04 AM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

217,553

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Manta 3,030 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Manta

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Manta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manta is about 58% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 98% 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $306 in Manta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $370 in Manta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $48 versus $52 in Manta. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $670 in Manta versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manta but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Manta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manta 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.

It comes down to priorities – Manta wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.