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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $424 in Mardan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $638 in Mardan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $851 in Mardan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 247% more expensive than in Mardan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Mardan is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$2.06 PKR 571

537.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$14.31 PKR 3,970

274.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$5.36 PKR 1,487

74.07%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 PKR 479

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 PKR 1,110

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.00 PKR 556

85.00%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.31 PKR 87.1

416.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.24 PKR 66.7

366.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$0.77 PKR 214

114.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.62 PKR 171

337.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$0.84 PKR 233

127.38%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.19 PKR 331

117.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$6.33 PKR 1,756

54.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$2.31 PKR 641

264.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$3.26 PKR 904

265.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$0.69 PKR 191

327.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$0.55 PKR 152

216.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$0.96 PKR 268

112.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$0.33 PKR 92.6

524.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.24 PKR 66.6

795.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.37 PKR 102

510.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.33 PKR 91.8

321.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.13 PKR 35.05

761.54%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.43 PKR 396

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PKR 243

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 PKR 543

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$1.43 PKR 398

195.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.18 PKR 49.54

94.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$6.89 PKR 1,911

180.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.36 PKR 101

283.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.34 PKR 94.9

-17.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$1.81 PKR 502

191.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$0.89 PKR 248

52.81%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$21.3K PKR 5.9M

-10.15%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$26.3K PKR 7.3M

-10.33%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$112 PKR 31.1K

-63.87%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$5.55 PKR 1,540

393.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$18.45 PKR 5,120

64.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$12.30 PKR 3,414

324.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$5.99 PKR 1,664

342.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$4.26 PKR 1,181

45.31%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$17.48 PKR 4,851

2331.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$1,112 PKR 308.7K

865.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$21.33 PKR 5,920

173.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$27.63 PKR 7,669

61.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$89.2 PKR 24.8K

15.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$17.39 PKR 4,827

525.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$75.5 PKR 21.0K

1242.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$51.8 PKR 14.4K

1101.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$167 PKR 46.3K

1170.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$105 PKR 29.1K

1066.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$867 PKR 240.6K

337.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$511 PKR 141.9K

312.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

20.2

-43.86%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Mardan: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $75.5 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $14.00 in Mardan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $79.0 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 247% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $636 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $75.5 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $17.48 in Mardan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 272% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $424 in Mardan versus $1,472 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 247% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.