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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,177 in Manzanillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,834 in Manzanillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,491 in Manzanillo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 26% more expensive than Manzanillo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Manzanillo is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$10.79 MX$189

20.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$35.50 MX$621

49.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$11.04 MX$193

-11.96%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.00 MX$52.5

25.00%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.21 MX$21.22

29.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$1.24 MX$21.68

-8.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.14 MX$37.43

48.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.76 MX$65.8

23.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.33 MX$23.35

21.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$2.47 MX$43.31

9.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.32 MX$23.02

42.42%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.06 MX$36.07

21.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$6.63 MX$116

52.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.14 MX$89.9

61.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$9.27 MX$162

28.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.44 MX$42.69

17.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.42 MX$24.87

23.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.53 MX$26.81

35.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.61 MX$28.25

22.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$2.37 MX$41.42

-8.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$2.83 MX$49.48

-22.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$2.04 MX$35.74

-31.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.17 MX$20.55

-4.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$5.10 MX$89.3

-17.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$7.06 MX$124

101.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.45 MX$42.91

-28.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.54 MX$44.42

44.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.56 MX$9.73

-30.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$2.36 MX$41.37

-41.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.58 MX$27.67

-81.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$8.15 MX$143

-33.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.27 MX$22.19

6.30%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$20.6K MX$360.4K

-8.32%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$23.4K MX$408.9K

-0.93%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$124 MX$2,165

-67.00%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$15.89 MX$278

73.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$24.37 MX$426

24.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$29.11 MX$509

83.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$15.81 MX$277

66.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$3.85 MX$67.4

62.86%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$53.1 MX$929

721.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$3,556 MX$62.2K

194.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$48.80 MX$854

16.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$28.13 MX$492

59.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$122 MX$2,128

-15.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$128 MX$2,241

-15.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$713 MX$12.5K

40.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$407 MX$7,118

52.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$934 MX$16.3K

128.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$768 MX$13.4K

60.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,704 MX$29.8K

126.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,252 MX$21.9K

86.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$398 MX$6,967

168.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.07

2.44%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Manzanillo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $713 in Manzanillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 168% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $35.00 in Manzanillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $226 per month, with Manzanillo 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 Manzanillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Manzanillo differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,177 including rent). Manzanillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 168% more on average, 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $713 in Manzanillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,484 per month in Mexico City versus $1,177 in Manzanillo – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,177 in Manzanillo versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manzanillo but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Manzanillo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Manzanillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.