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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $613 in Midlands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,035 in Midlands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,457 in Midlands.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 171% more expensive than in Midlands, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Midlands is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$5.96 MUR 283

100.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$37.62 MUR 1,787

37.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$7.22 MUR 343

58.03%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$2.63 MUR 125

51.71%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.15 MUR 54.5

44.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.61 MUR 28.97

118.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$2.68 MUR 127

29.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$4.85 MUR 231

21.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.61 MUR 76.4

16.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$0.74 MUR 35.26

339.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.15 MUR 54.5

87.83%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.58 MUR 122

12.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$5.20 MUR 247

147.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.46 MUR 307

55.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$11.28 MUR 536

40.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$2.86 MUR 136

15.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$2.70 MUR 128

-25.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$1.45 MUR 69.0

51.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$2.95 MUR 140

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$0.95 MUR 45.33

115.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.01 MUR 47.89

88.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.69 MUR 32.97

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.87 MUR 41.18

60.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$6.51 MUR 309

-16.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$8.26 MUR 392

113.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.64 MUR 78.1

25.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$2.31 MUR 110

102.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$4.28 MUR 203

-50.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$3.10 MUR 147

-81.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$20.80 MUR 988

-72.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.35 MUR 64.1

19.26%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$36.8K MUR 1.8M

-38.01%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$30.9K MUR 1.5M

-13.56%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$45.44 MUR 2,159

43.44%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$10.65 MUR 506

182.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$28.64 MUR 1,360

29.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$6.41 MUR 305

9.83%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$127 MUR 6,018

266.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$7,573 MUR 359.7K

75.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$78.8 MUR 3,744

-3.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$75.6 MUR 3,590

-25.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$120 MUR 5,700

-6.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$76.7 MUR 3,645

57.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.67

69.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Midlands: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in Midlands for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $219 per month, with Midlands 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 Midlands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Midlands differ by about 171% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $613 including rent). Midlands is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $920 in Midlands 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.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $127 in Midlands. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Midlands – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $613 in Midlands versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Midlands but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Midlands the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Midlands 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 Midlands gentler on the wallet – expenses run 171% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.