Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Matsudo

For one person, living is cheaper in Matsudo: $1,239 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Matsudo, Japan
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Matsudo
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,239
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,239 in Matsudo.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Matsudo $1,239

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,907 in Matsudo.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Matsudo $1,907

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,574 in Matsudo.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Matsudo $2,574

Living in Mexico City is roughly 30% more expensive than in Matsudo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Matsudo is 9% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Matsudo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$199
$6.20 ¥979
71.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$906
$37.45 ¥5,915
29.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$194
$4.94 ¥781
109.51%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$69.2
$3.54 ¥559
4.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.23
$1.10 ¥174
51.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.71
$0.79 ¥124
60.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$59.8
$2.58 ¥407
23.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$99.5
$3.13 ¥495
69.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Matsudo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.32
$1.45 ¥229
18.62%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$57.0
$1.67 ¥264
82.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.38
$3.60 ¥569
-46.11%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$54.1
$1.99 ¥314
45.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$206
$10.36 ¥1,636
5.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$173
$5.96 ¥941
55.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$283
$14.76 ¥2,331
2.51%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$57.1
$4.82 ¥762
-36.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.38
$2.27 ¥358
-14.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.95
$2.82 ¥446
-28.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.38
$4.23 ¥668
-45.39%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$38.14
$2.64 ¥417
-22.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.73
$2.66 ¥420
-32.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.72
$1.19 ¥189
24.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.75
$0.76 ¥120
67.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$99.4
$3.78 ¥597
40.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$302
$6.43 ¥1,016
150.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$37.16
$1.71 ¥271
15.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.7
$2.01 ¥318
111.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Matsudo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.72
$1.52 ¥239
-79.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$370
$57.6 ¥9,094
-65.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.44
$3.15 ¥497
-41.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$10.00
$2.69 ¥424
-80.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$99.2
$18.50 ¥2,922
-71.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.31
$1.10 ¥173
37.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$407.7K
$21.9K ¥3.5M
-0.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$449.5K
$14.9K ¥2.4M
60.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Matsudo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,180
$135 ¥21.3K
-53.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$513
$23.07 ¥3,644
18.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$668
$30.51 ¥4,819
16.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Matsudo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,105
$45.93 ¥7,253
28.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$443
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$120
$13.05 ¥2,061
-50.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Matsudo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,088
$835 ¥131.8K
-48.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$214.1K
$14.8K ¥2.3M
-22.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Matsudo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,278
$55.8 ¥8,811
22.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$996
$32.81 ¥5,182
61.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,020
$62.5 ¥9,873
72.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,198
$70.7 ¥11.2K
65.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Matsudo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.9K
$593 ¥93.7K
87.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.3K
$383 ¥60.6K
85.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.5K
$904 ¥142.8K
186.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.3K
$718 ¥113.4K
95.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$68.0K
$4,478 ¥707.3K
-18.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$40.0K
$2,545 ¥401.9K
-16.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Matsudo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
2.25
404.44%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Matsudo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Matsudo
$383 46% $327
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Matsudo
$281 11.9% $38
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Matsudo
$134 32.7% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Matsudo
$100 36% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Matsudo
$189 49.8% $63
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Matsudo
$72 0.4% $0.3
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Matsudo
$80 215% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $593 in Matsudo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $37 in Matsudo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $281 per month, with Matsudo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇯🇵 Matsudo
🕒 Local time
08:27 8:27 AM
23:27 11:27 PM
15 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
485,803
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Matsudo 11,280 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Matsudo

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 Matsudo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Matsudo cheaper than Mexico City?
Matsudo is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $1,859 in Matsudo 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.
What is the rent difference between Mexico City and Matsudo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $593 in Matsudo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 66% less than in Matsudo. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $835 in Matsudo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Mexico City or in Matsudo?
At $1,239 in Matsudo versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Matsudo but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Matsudo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Mexico City or in Matsudo?
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.

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