Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Mexicali

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexicali: $927 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Mexicali
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Mexicali Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Mexicali

🇲🇽 Mexico

$927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $927 in Mexicali, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Mexicali $927

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $1,485 in Mexicali, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Mexicali $1,485

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $2,042 in Mexicali, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Mexicali $2,042

Mexico City costs about 73% more than Mexicali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Mexicali is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$12.33 MX$231

-13.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$906

$33.01 MX$619

46.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$6.49 MX$122

59.48%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.2

$3.33 MX$62.3

10.81%

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

$1.67 MX$31.23

$1.37 MX$25.75

21.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.71

$1.07 MX$19.97

18.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.8

$3.21 MX$60.2

-0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.5

$4.03 MX$75.5

31.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.32

$1.20 MX$22.41

43.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.0

$2.32 MX$43.41

31.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

$1.44 MX$26.92

34.72%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.1

$2.67 MX$50.1

8.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$2.40 MX$44.92

357.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

$6.04 MX$113

53.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$283

$6.60 MX$124

129.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.1

$1.61 MX$30.11

89.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

$1.31 MX$24.59

48.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.95

$1.37 MX$25.63

48.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.38

$1.57 MX$29.36

47.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.14

$1.37 MX$25.70

48.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.73

$1.38 MX$25.88

30.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.72

$1.34 MX$25.09

10.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.75

$0.77 MX$14.47

64.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$4.01 MX$75.2

32.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

$7.99 MX$150

101.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.16

$1.96 MX$36.77

1.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.7

$3.99 MX$74.7

6.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.72

$1.02 MX$19.15

-69.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$370

$34.66 MX$649

-43.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.44

$2.80 MX$52.4

-34.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.00

$2.19 MX$41.11

-75.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.2

$19.17 MX$359

-72.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.31

$1.37 MX$25.72

10.22%

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

$21.8K MX$407.7K

$24.5K MX$459.9K

-11.37%

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

$24.0K MX$449.5K

$23.1K MX$432.9K

3.83%

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

$63.0 MX$1,180

$47.16 MX$884

33.55%

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

$27.39 MX$513

$21.80 MX$409

25.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$668

$28.74 MX$539

24.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,105

$39.07 MX$732

50.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$443

$16.32 MX$306

44.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$3.99 MX$74.7

60.40%

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

$432 MX$8,088

$198 MX$3,715

117.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.1K

$4,438 MX$83.2K

157.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,278

$33.30 MX$624

104.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$996

$32.11 MX$602

65.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,020

$75.5 MX$1,415

42.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,198

$37.44 MX$702

213.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$967 MX$18.1K

15.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$265 MX$4,961

168.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.5K

$1,370 MX$25.7K

88.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

$534 MX$10.0K

163.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.0K

$2,628 MX$49.2K

38.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.0K

$1,427 MX$26.7K

49.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

$837 MX$15.7K

13.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

12.07

-5.97%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mexicali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Mexicali

$265 28.5% 62.7% $446

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Mexicali

$193 20.8% 39.5% $126

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Mexicali

$192 20.7% 3.4% $6.7

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Mexicali

$80 8.7% 48.5% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Mexicali

$98 10.5% 22.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Mexicali

$47 5.1% 34.4% $25

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Mexicali

$53 5.7% 106% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $967 in Mexicali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 13% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $33 in Mexicali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $193 – making Mexicali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexicali

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

07:59 7:59 AM

2 h behind Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

854,186

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Mexicali 2,190 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Mexicali

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 Mexicali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City, $927 in Mexicali – Mexicali comes out roughly 42% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $1,391 in Mexicali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexicali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $967 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Groceries cost about 65% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $33 in Mexicali. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Mexicali, where all-in costs run around $927, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Mexicali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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