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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,078 in Midlands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,741 in Midlands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,405 in Midlands.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 34% more expensive than Midlands, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Midlands is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$6.67 MUR 314

94.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$44.23 MUR 2,083

18.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$7.20 MUR 339

30.97%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.54 MUR 119

40.55%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.95 MUR 44.91

69.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.59 MUR 27.91

94.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.23 MUR 105

41.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$3.32 MUR 156

46.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.68 MUR 79.2

1.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.71 MUR 33.50

271.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.32 MUR 62.1

43.94%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.35 MUR 111

8.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$11.71 MUR 551

-13.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$6.11 MUR 288

35.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$12.51 MUR 589

-7.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.99 MUR 93.6

52.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$2.01 MUR 94.7

-14.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.51 MUR 71.1

35.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$2.71 MUR 128

-23.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$0.99 MUR 46.48

108.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$0.93 MUR 43.70

133.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.79 MUR 37.14

77.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.81 MUR 38.22

38.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$6.50 MUR 306

-34.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$8.25 MUR 389

86.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.72 MUR 81.0

-2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.21 MUR 104

66.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.01 MUR 47.34

-62.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$4.49 MUR 211

-69.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$2.75 MUR 129

-89.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$20.01 MUR 942

-72.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.40 MUR 66.0

-8.57%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

-46.83%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

-19.35%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$49.38 MUR 2,325

-16.93%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$18.03 MUR 849

49.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$33.05 MUR 1,556

-10.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$37.69 MUR 1,775

38.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$5.89 MUR 277

4.92%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$155 MUR 7,285

176.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$4,035 MUR 190.0K

165.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$86.4 MUR 4,069

-34.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$79.5 MUR 3,745

-43.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$130 MUR 6,128

-19.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$95.5 MUR 4,495

11.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$515 MUR 24.3K

92.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$358 MUR 16.9K

73.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$930 MUR 43.8K

128.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$717 MUR 33.8K

74.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Midlands: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $515 in Midlands. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $44.00 in Midlands for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,078 including rent). Midlands is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,617 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $515 in Midlands. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $155 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 $44.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,078 in Midlands versus $1,447 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 34% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.