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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $500 in Mardan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $767 in Mardan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,033 in Mardan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 232% more expensive than in Mardan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Mardan is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$3.59 PKR 994

232.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$23.00 PKR 6,371

124.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$5.53 PKR 1,531

106.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 PKR 994

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 PKR 1,918

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$2.62 PKR 725

52.29%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.36 PKR 98.5

361.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.23 PKR 64.0

478.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$0.91 PKR 252

106.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$0.79 PKR 220

311.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.29 PKR 357

67.44%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.21 PKR 336

139.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$2.97 PKR 823

333.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$3.12 PKR 864

222.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$3.74 PKR 1,035

324.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$0.94 PKR 260

250.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$0.74 PKR 205

171.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.06 PKR 295

107.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$0.37 PKR 103

537.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$0.28 PKR 78.3

632.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$0.35 PKR 98.2

442.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.28 PKR 76.4

475.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.37 PKR 103

278.38%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.77 PKR 489

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 PKR 326

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 PKR 746

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$1.78 PKR 493

206.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.16 PKR 43.23

112.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$10.72 PKR 2,970

94.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$1.30 PKR 359

61.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.74 PKR 205

-24.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$1.66 PKR 460

250.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.02 PKR 283

57.84%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$21.4K PKR 5.9M

6.50%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$24.0K PKR 6.7M

11.41%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$104 PKR 28.9K

-37.42%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$5.69 PKR 1,575

428.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$15.72 PKR 4,353

136.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$14.73 PKR 4,079

305.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$4.34 PKR 1,203

62.21%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$75.2 PKR 20.8K

517.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$1,028 PKR 284.9K

1190.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$24.74 PKR 6,852

206.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$34.30 PKR 9,501

63.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

14.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$40.71 PKR 11.3K

196.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$128 PKR 35.4K

763.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$78.1 PKR 21.6K

822.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$250 PKR 69.4K

910.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$151 PKR 41.7K

758.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$994 PKR 275.4K

301.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$591 PKR 163.8K

253.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

13.08

-13.61%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mardan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $128 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $23.00 in Mardan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $85.0 per month, with Mardan 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 Mardan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mardan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 232% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $750 in Mardan 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $128 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $75.2 in Mardan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 305% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $500 in Mardan versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mardan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Mardan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mardan 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.

Expats usually find Mardan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 232% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.