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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $943 in Marabella.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,641 in Marabella.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,339 in Marabella.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 57% more expensive than Marabella, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Marabella is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$10.24 TTD 69.5

26.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$89.1 TTD 605

-40.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$7.54 TTD 51.2

28.91%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.78 TTD 25.69

-0.79%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.10 TTD 7.47

42.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.76 TTD 5.18

48.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.82 TTD 12.34

74.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.03 TTD 20.61

53.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$2.74 TTD 18.60

-40.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$2.74 TTD 18.59

-1.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$2.56 TTD 17.40

-26.56%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$4.91 TTD 33.34

-48.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$7.79 TTD 52.9

29.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$10.38 TTD 70.5

-20.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$14.57 TTD 98.9

-18.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$5.69 TTD 38.61

-49.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$2.52 TTD 17.13

-30.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$4.43 TTD 30.08

-53.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$4.81 TTD 32.63

-59.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.44 TTD 9.79

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.73 TTD 11.71

26.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.97 TTD 13.38

-29.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.47 TTD 9.98

-23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$6.03 TTD 40.97

-30.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$19.73 TTD 134

-27.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.12 TTD 14.38

-16.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.76 TTD 18.73

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.06 TTD 7.18

31.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.24 TTD 8.41

-75.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$14.59 TTD 99.1

-62.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.14 TTD 7.74

18.42%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$34.1K TTD 231.3K

-44.57%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$37.8K TTD 256.8K

-38.79%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$79.1 TTD 537

-48.41%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$47.09 TTD 320

-41.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$60.8 TTD 413

-50.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$9.96 TTD 67.6

-37.05%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$328 TTD 2,228

32.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$7,263 TTD 49.3K

44.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$59.3 TTD 402

-4.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$37.90 TTD 257

18.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$148 TTD 1,003

-30.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$126 TTD 859

-14.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.38

110.78%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Marabella: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $89.0 in Marabella for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $378 per month, with Mexico City 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 Marabella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Marabella differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $943 including rent). Marabella is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,414 in Marabella to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 32% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,484 per month in Mexico City versus $943 in Marabella – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $943 in Marabella versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marabella but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Marabella 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 Marabella gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.