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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,315 in Manzanillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $2,334 in Manzanillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $3,353 in Manzanillo.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Manzanillo is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$11.56 MX$199

3.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$35.59 MX$613

44.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$11.71 MX$202

-2.56%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$3.62 MX$62.3

10.22%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$1.35 MX$23.18

22.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$1.32 MX$22.76

0.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$2.58 MX$44.49

34.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$4.71 MX$81.1

25.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.48 MX$25.57

27.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$2.84 MX$48.83

14.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.53 MX$26.40

41.18%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$2.27 MX$39.05

27.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$7.03 MX$121

82.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$5.84 MX$101

72.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$11.40 MX$196

39.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$3.00 MX$51.7

9.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.63 MX$28.05

23.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.62 MX$27.83

35.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$1.63 MX$28.03

44.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$2.71 MX$46.65

-24.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$1.86 MX$32.11

2.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$2.29 MX$39.48

-29.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$1.41 MX$24.35

-0.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$6.19 MX$107

-11.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$11.53 MX$199

53.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$2.47 MX$42.47

-16.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$2.66 MX$45.86

75.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$0.82 MX$14.07

-58.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$2.67 MX$45.95

-21.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$2.73 MX$46.95

-79.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$11.82 MX$204

-50.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.53 MX$26.28

5.23%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$22.2K MX$382.1K

2.92%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$25.9K MX$446.8K

3.09%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$69.6 MX$1,198

-6.31%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$21.67 MX$373

38.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$34.28 MX$590

8.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$69.2 MX$1,192

-13.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$35.61 MX$613

-25.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$4.64 MX$79.9

51.72%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$208 MX$3,580

123.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$46.15 MX$795

64.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$30.86 MX$531

81.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$83.3 MX$1,434

34.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$143 MX$2,470

-16.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$709 MX$12.2K

55.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$486 MX$8,370

48.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$1,664 MX$28.6K

52.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$1,450 MX$25.0K

-10.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$396 MX$6,818

161.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Manzanillo: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $709 in Manzanillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 162% 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 $36.00 in Manzanillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $261 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 ($1,660 vs $1,315 including rent). Manzanillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 162% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $709 in Manzanillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,660 per month in Mexico City versus $1,315 in Manzanillo – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,315 in Manzanillo versus $1,660 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.