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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,146 in Matsudo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,863 in Matsudo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,580 in Matsudo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 27% more expensive than in Matsudo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Matsudo is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$7.13 ¥1,159

83.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$34.59 ¥5,621

55.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.31 ¥863

82.30%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.15 ¥512

18.73%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.13 ¥183

43.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.80 ¥131

45.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.04 ¥331

58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.03 ¥331

133.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.55 ¥252

6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.69 ¥275

62.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$5.05 ¥820

-62.97%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.58 ¥256

58.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$10.15 ¥1,649

0.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.41 ¥1,042

28.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$15.24 ¥2,477

-22.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$5.99 ¥973

-49.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$3.17 ¥514

-42.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$3.97 ¥646

-49.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$4.61 ¥749

-56.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$3.32 ¥540

-37.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$3.57 ¥580

-36.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.34 ¥218

8.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.83 ¥134

30.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.28 ¥696

1.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$9.46 ¥1,537

79.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.76 ¥286

-1.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.10 ¥342

70.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.61 ¥261

-75.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$55.8 ¥9,062

-66.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$3.52 ¥573

-62.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$2.99 ¥485

-90.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$21.75 ¥3,534

-75.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.14 ¥185

17.54%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$23.2K ¥3.8M

-16.28%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$18.5K ¥3.0M

28.80%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$82.0 ¥13.3K

-50.39%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$27.63 ¥4,490

-2.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$17.47 ¥2,838

74.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$55.1 ¥8,945

-4.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$13.93 ¥2,264

91.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$11.29 ¥1,834

-42.34%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$277 ¥45.0K

54.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$13.8K ¥2.2M

-23.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$41.38 ¥6,723

38.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$29.57 ¥4,804

53.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$60.6 ¥9,838

71.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$97.7 ¥15.9K

10.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$476 ¥77.4K

110.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$332 ¥53.9K

87.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$857 ¥139.3K

146.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$659 ¥107.1K

84.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$4,109 ¥667.6K

-5.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$2,141 ¥347.9K

-5.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,974 ¥320.7K

-47.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

2.05

453.17%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Matsudo: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $476 in Matsudo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Matsudo pays 90% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $35.00 in Matsudo. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $319, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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

Matsudo is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 90% lower in Matsudo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $476 in Matsudo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Matsudo runs roughly 198% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $277 in Matsudo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,146 in Matsudo versus $1,456 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.

For families, Matsudo 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Matsudo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Matsudo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.