Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Mardan

For one person, living is cheaper in Mardan: $502 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Mardan
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Mardan Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Mardan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Mardan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $502 in Mardan.

Mexico City $1,608
Mardan $502

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $788 in Mardan.

Mexico City $2,549
Mardan $788

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,074 in Mardan.

Mexico City $3,490
Mardan $1,074

Living in Mexico City is roughly 220% more expensive than in Mardan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Mardan is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$3.53 PKR 978

200.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$908

$23.47 PKR 6,495

106.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$5.44 PKR 1,504

90.26%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 PKR 1,013

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 PKR 1,872

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.3

$2.55 PKR 705

44.71%

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

$1.67 MX$31.29

$0.34 PKR 94.7

391.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.76

$0.23 PKR 63.9

452.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.38

$0.90 PKR 250

91.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$0.78 PKR 216

289.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.44

$1.29 PKR 358

50.39%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.2

$1.22 PKR 337

136.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$2.93 PKR 811

274.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$3.17 PKR 878

191.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$3.72 PKR 1,029

306.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.2

$0.87 PKR 240

250.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.45

$0.73 PKR 203

165.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.02

$1.03 PKR 286

97.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.46

$0.35 PKR 96.5

560.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.21

$0.27 PKR 74.2

655.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.79

$0.38 PKR 106

373.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.77

$0.28 PKR 77.2

428.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.80

$0.35 PKR 96.0

262.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 PKR 496

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 333

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PKR 642

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.6

$1.84 PKR 508

188.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.20 PKR 54.5

55.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$10.72 PKR 2,966

84.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.50

$1.27 PKR 352

44.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.02

$0.69 PKR 190

-23.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$1.60 PKR 442

231.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.36

$1.05 PKR 292

43.81%

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

$21.8K MX$408.4K

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

-0.09%

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

$24.0K MX$450.3K

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

1.76%

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

$63.0 MX$1,182

$104 PKR 28.7K

-39.21%

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

$27.39 MX$514

$6.02 PKR 1,666

354.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$16.99 PKR 4,701

109.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,107

$12.89 PKR 3,566

357.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$8.04 PKR 2,223

194.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$4.89 PKR 1,353

30.88%

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

$432 MX$8,103

$42.07 PKR 11.6K

925.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.5K

$1,058 PKR 292.8K

979.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,281

$25.98 PKR 7,188

162.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$997

$34.63 PKR 9,583

53.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,023

$96.3 PKR 26.7K

11.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,202

$40.12 PKR 11.1K

192.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$134 PKR 37.1K

730.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

726.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$264 PKR 73.1K

879.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$182 PKR 50.3K

672.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$865 PKR 239.3K

319.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$578 PKR 159.9K

269.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

13.08

-13.23%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mardan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Mardan

$86 17.1% 87.9% $625

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Mardan

$84 16.8% 73.7% $235

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Mardan

$77 15.4% 61% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Mardan

$89 17.7% 43.1% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Mardan

$127 25.2% 0.5% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Mardan

$23 4.5% 68.4% $49

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Mardan

$16 3.2% 36.3% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $134 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $23 in Mardan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $84 per month, with Mardan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇰 Mardan

🕒 Local time

20:37 8:37 PM

07:37 7:37 AM

11 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

358,604

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Mardan 13,980 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Mardan

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 Mardan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mardan is about 69% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $753 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $134 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $42 in Mardan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 280% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $502 in Mardan versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 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.

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 Mardan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.