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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,456 per month in Mexico City vs $719 in Masaya, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,361 per month in Mexico City vs $1,155 in Masaya, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,266 per month in Mexico City vs $1,592 in Masaya, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 103% more than Masaya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 9% above the global median, while Masaya is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$4.87 NIO 178

168.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$34.82 NIO 1,275

54.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$7.08 NIO 259

36.72%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.39 NIO 87.5

56.49%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.79 NIO 28.78

105.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.76 NIO 27.65

52.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.35 NIO 49.32

139.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.02 NIO 74.0

134.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.27 NIO 46.52

29.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$2.46 NIO 89.9

11.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.82 NIO 66.6

2.75%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.23 NIO 81.7

12.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$11.14 NIO 408

-8.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.77 NIO 248

21.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$7.88 NIO 289

50.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$3.93 NIO 144

-23.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$0.89 NIO 32.74

103.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.76 NIO 64.6

13.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$2.19 NIO 80.2

-8.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$3.95 NIO 145

-47.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$2.24 NIO 81.9

1.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.06 NIO 38.81

37.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.06 NIO 38.70

1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.63 NIO 96.3

65.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$14.63 NIO 536

16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.42 NIO 52.0

21.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.17 NIO 79.5

64.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.46 NIO 53.5

-8.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$6.63 NIO 243

-20.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.30 NIO 47.49

3.08%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$22.6K NIO 827.8K

-14.12%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$26.5K NIO 970.1K

-10.03%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$97.0 NIO 3,552

-58.05%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$16.99 NIO 622

58.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$37.80 NIO 1,384

-19.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$8.23 NIO 301

-20.90%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$122 NIO 4,474

250.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$5,919 NIO 216.8K

77.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$76.6 NIO 2,805

-25.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$73.1 NIO 2,675

-37.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$133 NIO 4,878

-21.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$109 NIO 3,996

-1.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.25

10.63%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Masaya: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City versus $35.00 in Masaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $261 – making Masaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Masaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 103%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,185 per month in Mexico City and $1,078 in Masaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City and $35.00 in Masaya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Masaya, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Mexico City at $1,456. In Masaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Masaya – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Masaya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.