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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,065 in Midlands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,709 in Midlands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,353 in Midlands.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 38% more expensive than in Midlands, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Midlands is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$6.77 MUR 317

94.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$44.86 MUR 2,101

19.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$7.07 MUR 331

31.97%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.55 MUR 119

45.10%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.96 MUR 45.02

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.60 MUR 28.01

86.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.18 MUR 102

44.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$3.31 MUR 155

46.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.69 MUR 79.1

-2.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.70 MUR 32.93

287.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.28 MUR 60.1

49.22%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.25 MUR 105

15.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$12.07 MUR 565

-18.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$6.13 MUR 287

37.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$12.49 MUR 585

-4.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.08 MUR 97.2

41.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.93 MUR 90.4

-9.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.51 MUR 70.7

35.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$2.64 MUR 123

-21.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.02 MUR 48.01

110.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.95 MUR 44.30

137.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.85 MUR 39.64

63.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.75 MUR 35.09

49.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$6.76 MUR 317

-37.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$8.56 MUR 401

104.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.79 MUR 83.8

-4.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.23 MUR 104

62.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.04 MUR 48.73

-66.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$4.51 MUR 211

-69.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$2.72 MUR 128

-89.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$19.45 MUR 911

-72.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.46 MUR 68.4

-6.85%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$35.3K MUR 1.7M

-45.93%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$28.5K MUR 1.3M

-17.13%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$48.57 MUR 2,275

-16.55%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$18.04 MUR 845

51.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$33.05 MUR 1,548

-8.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$37.65 MUR 1,763

38.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$5.88 MUR 276

5.27%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$152 MUR 7,110

180.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$4,018 MUR 188.2K

167.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$83.7 MUR 3,922

-30.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$79.8 MUR 3,738

-44.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$131 MUR 6,127

-20.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$96.1 MUR 4,501

13.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$519 MUR 24.3K

95.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$347 MUR 16.2K

79.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$955 MUR 44.8K

121.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$721 MUR 33.8K

69.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.67

70.01%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Midlands: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $519 in Midlands. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $45.00 in Midlands for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $231 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 38% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,065 including rent). Midlands is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,598 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $519 in Midlands. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $152 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 $45.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,065 in Midlands versus $1,472 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 38% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.