Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Mary

For one person, living is cheaper in Mary: $468 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,548
/mo nomad
Mary
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan
$468
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $468 in Mary.

  • Mexico City $1,548
  • Mary $468

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $710 in Mary.

  • Mexico City $2,436
  • Mary $710

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $951 in Mary.

  • Mexico City $3,323
  • Mary $951

Living in Mexico City is roughly 230% more expensive than in Mary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Mary is 65% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Mary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.02 MX$204
$11.49 TMT 38.59
-4.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.68 MX$900
-
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.90 MX$201
$8.49 TMT 28.51
28.39%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$8.38 TMT 28.17
-56.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 MX$30.18
$12.61 TMT 42.36
-87.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 MX$23.07
$1.40 TMT 4.71
-10.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.25 MX$60.1
$14.55 TMT 48.90
-77.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.53 MX$102
$11.63 TMT 39.07
-52.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Mary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 MX$31.50
$2.91 TMT 9.78
-41.58%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 MX$55.8
-
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.53
-
-
Eggs
$2.73 MX$50.5
$6.95 TMT 23.34
-60.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.77 MX$218
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 MX$176
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.41 MX$266
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$2.22 TMT 7.45
36.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.01
-
-
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.70
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.19 MX$40.38
$1.45 TMT 4.88
51.03%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.43
$1.95 TMT 6.56
-1.54%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 MX$34.49
$1.70 TMT 5.70
10.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 MX$26.62
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.39
$1.16 TMT 3.88
9.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.22 MX$96.4
$16.79 TMT 56.4
-68.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.17 MX$299
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 MX$35.03
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.22 MX$78.0
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Mary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 MX$6.30
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.65 MX$363
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.90
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.52 MX$9.67
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.34 MX$98.7
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.13
-
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K MX$408.0K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$452.9K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Mary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.1 MX$1,129
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.58 MX$528
-
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.47 MX$637
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Mary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,042
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.88 MX$460
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.66 MX$123
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Mary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$427 MX$7,891
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K MX$215.0K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Mary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 MX$1,253
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.0 MX$960
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 MX$1,959
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 MX$2,080
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Mary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,025 MX$18.9K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$654 MX$12.1K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,308 MX$42.7K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,242 MX$22.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,613 MX$66.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,936 MX$35.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Mary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$964 MX$17.8K
$212 TMT 712
355.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
0
-

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Mary: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$654
Mary
–
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$318
Mary
–
Eating Out
Mexico City
$204
Mary
–
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$152
Mary
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$124
Mary
–
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Mary
–
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Mary
–

Cost Breakdown

Mexico City pays 355% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇹🇲 Mary
🕒 Local time
11:12 11:12 AM
22:12 10:12 PM
11 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
123,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3.36 TMT (1 TMT = 0.298 USD). 1 EUR = 3.78 TMT (1 TMT = 0.265 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Mary 13,370 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Mary

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 Mary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mexico City or Mary?
Mary wins on cost – living expenses run 230% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mary the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Mexico City or in Mary?
Average pay runs 355% 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.
Are groceries more expensive in Mexico City or in Mary?
Supermarket bills run roughly 223% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Mexico City compared to Mary?
All in, you'll spend $1,548 per month in Mexico City versus $468 in Mary – a 230% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Mexico City or in Mary?
At $468 in Mary versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mary but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Mary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Mexico City or Mary?
Both work as nomad bases, but Mary delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $468 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mary hard to pass up.
How safe is Mexico City compared to Mary?
Safety-wise, Mexico City and Mary are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Mary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 230% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Mexico City vs other spots: cost of living compared

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