Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Meilen

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $3,386 in Meilen, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
164

Cost of Living Index in Meilen
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Meilen Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Meilen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,386

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $3,386 in Meilen, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Meilen $3,386

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $5,977 in Meilen, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Meilen $5,977

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $8,568 in Meilen, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Meilen $8,568

Mexico City is about 53% cheaper than Meilen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mexico City and Meilen sit above the global median – Mexico City by 18%, Meilen by 149%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$32.96 CHF 27.19

-67.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$908

$120 CHF 98.8

-59.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$16.48 CHF 13.60

-37.20%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.3

$6.36 CHF 5.24

-41.98%

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

$1.67 MX$31.29

$5.76 CHF 4.75

-71.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.76

$5.25 CHF 4.33

-75.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.9

$8.63 CHF 7.12

-63.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.6

$8.56 CHF 7.06

-37.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.38

$2.18 CHF 1.80

-21.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$3.42 CHF 2.82

-11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.44

$3.74 CHF 3.08

-48.13%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.2

$7.85 CHF 6.48

-63.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$26.09 CHF 21.52

-57.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$25.84 CHF 21.32

-64.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$39.94 CHF 32.94

-62.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.2

$3.49 CHF 2.88

-12.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.45

$2.11 CHF 1.74

-8.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.02

$2.71 CHF 2.24

-25.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.46

$4.50 CHF 3.71

-48.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.21

$2.07 CHF 1.71

-1.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.79

$2.18 CHF 1.80

-17.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.77

$2.36 CHF 1.94

-37.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.80

$1.26 CHF 1.04

0.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.6

$11.05 CHF 9.12

-52.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

$13.29 CHF 10.96

21.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.23

$2.25 CHF 1.85

-12.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.8

$3.15 CHF 2.60

34.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$4.43 CHF 3.65

-93.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$102 CHF 84.2

-80.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.50

$7.64 CHF 6.30

-75.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.02

$4.50 CHF 3.71

-88.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$87.5 CHF 72.2

-93.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.36

$2.19 CHF 1.81

-31.05%

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

$21.8K MX$408.4K

$38.6K CHF 31.9K

-43.71%

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

$24.0K MX$450.3K

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

-38.44%

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

$63.0 MX$1,182

$234 CHF 193

-73.07%

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

$27.39 MX$514

$38.39 CHF 31.67

-28.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$64.6 CHF 53.3

-44.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,107

$90.9 CHF 75.0

-35.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$45.64 CHF 37.65

-48.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$23.65 CHF 19.51

-72.94%

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

$432 MX$8,103

$2,822 CHF 2,328

-84.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.5K

$42.6K CHF 35.2K

-73.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,281

$138 CHF 114

-50.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$997

$58.1 CHF 47.96

-8.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,023

$145 CHF 120

-25.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,202

$175 CHF 144

-32.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$1,778 CHF 1,466

-37.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$1,463 CHF 1,207

-51.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$2,894 CHF 2,388

-10.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$4,088 CHF 3,372

-65.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$16.4K CHF 13.5K

-77.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$12.6K CHF 10.4K

-83.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$8,262 CHF 6,815

-88.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

1.72

559.88%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Meilen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Meilen

$1.5K 43.2% 106% $752

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Meilen

$572 16.9% 79.1% $253

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Meilen

$494 14.6% 149% $295

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Meilen

$232 6.9% 49% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Meilen

$337 10% 167% $211

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Meilen

$138 4.1% 92.6% $66

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Meilen

$150 4.4% 489% $124

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $1,778 in Meilen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Meilen are about 8.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $120 in Meilen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $572 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇭 Meilen

🕒 Local time

19:59 7:59 PM

02:59 2:59 AM

7 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

13,515

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.825 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.921 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Meilen 9,690 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Meilen

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 Meilen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Meilen costs about 111% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $5,079 in Meilen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,113 there versus $1,778 in Meilen.

Public transport costs about 81% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $432 per month in Mexico City and $2,822 in Meilen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Meilen at $3,386. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Meilen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mexico City – 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 Mexico City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Meilen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.