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 $1,467 per month in Mexico City vs $718 in Masaya, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,371 per month in Mexico City vs $1,138 in Masaya, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,274 per month in Mexico City vs $1,558 in Masaya, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 104% more than Masaya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 10% above the global median, while Masaya is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.95 NIO 181

166.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$35.34 NIO 1,294

52.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.21 NIO 264

30.65%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.44 NIO 89.2

45.49%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.84 NIO 30.60

92.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.75 NIO 27.32

48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.29 NIO 47.42

141.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.05 NIO 75.2

125.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.26 NIO 46.00

34.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$2.38 NIO 87.0

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.86 NIO 68.2

2.69%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.24 NIO 81.9

13.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$11.39 NIO 417

-11.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.81 NIO 249

18.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.92 NIO 290

46.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.93 NIO 144

-24.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$0.83 NIO 30.49

118.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.81 NIO 66.4

11.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.21 NIO 81.1

-8.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$4.05 NIO 148

-47.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$2.19 NIO 80.1

3.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.01 NIO 37.06

38.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.04 NIO 38.13

8.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.68 NIO 98.3

59.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$14.69 NIO 538

5.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.45 NIO 53.3

21.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.24 NIO 82.1

60.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.46 NIO 53.3

-5.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$6.88 NIO 252

-20.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.36 NIO 49.91

-4.41%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$22.8K NIO 835.6K

-18.09%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$26.2K NIO 959.3K

-11.69%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$98.9 NIO 3,622

-58.69%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$16.80 NIO 615

59.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$37.42 NIO 1,370

-19.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.96 NIO 291

-20.85%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$124 NIO 4,540

251.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$5,948 NIO 217.9K

75.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$77.7 NIO 2,846

-27.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$72.7 NIO 2,662

-38.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$130 NIO 4,762

-20.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$110 NIO 4,019

-3.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Masaya: June 2, 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: $288 vs $262 – 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 104%, 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 $2,201 per month in Mexico City and $1,077 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 10% 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 $718, than in Mexico City at $1,467. 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.