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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $1,114 in Medias.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $1,702 in Medias.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $2,291 in Medias.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 30% more expensive than Medias, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Medias is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$12.09 RON 54.5

7.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$49.92 RON 225

4.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$7.92 RON 35.66

22.35%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$3.48 RON 15.67

7.76%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$1.92 RON 8.66

-18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$2.09 RON 9.43

-44.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

$3.30 RON 14.85

-1.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

$3.52 RON 15.86

39.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$1.35 RON 6.06

25.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$1.33 RON 5.99

100.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$1.83 RON 8.22

3.28%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$3.26 RON 14.69

-22.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$8.80 RON 39.64

13.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$7.18 RON 32.32

18.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$11.96 RON 53.9

-0.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$1.13 RON 5.10

162.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$1.57 RON 7.07

14.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$1.61 RON 7.27

24.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$2.48 RON 11.15

-20.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$0.96 RON 4.34

125.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$1.08 RON 4.86

110.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$0.87 RON 3.90

60.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$0.78 RON 3.53

42.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$5.91 RON 26.61

-28.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

$9.08 RON 40.91

82.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

$1.09 RON 4.90

54.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

$1.70 RON 7.67

111.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

$0.66 RON 2.97

-40.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

$19.70 RON 88.7

-2.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$0.77 RON 3.49

79.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$0.80 RON 3.62

-62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$7.08 RON 31.91

-23.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$1.53 RON 6.89

-15.69%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

$28.1K RON 126.7K

-32.82%

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$28.1K RON 126.7K

-15.41%

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

$39.86 MX$686

$165 RON 743

-75.83%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$7.92 RON 35.67

251.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$9.23 RON 41.57

222.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

$40.78 RON 184

27.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

$19.21 RON 86.5

36.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$7.00 RON 31.53

-10.43%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$441 RON 1,984

-1.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$6,446 RON 29.0K

63.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$65.7 RON 296

-13.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$42.41 RON 191

6.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$97.2 RON 438

4.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$99.9 RON 450

8.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

$384 RON 1,728

159.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

$287 RON 1,290

115.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

$581 RON 2,615

259.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

$434 RON 1,956

189.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

$1,831 RON 8,244

115.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

$1,364 RON 6,142

53.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

7.7

47.27%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Last update for Medias: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $384 in Medias. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $50.0 in Medias for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $224 per month, with Medias cheaper across the board.

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 Medias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medias is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,173 in Mexico City and $1,671 in Medias 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $994 in Mexico City versus $384 in Medias. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $433 in Mexico City versus $441 in Medias. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,114 in Medias versus $1,448 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medias but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Medias the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medias 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 Medias 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 Medias gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.