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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $938 in Moka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,584 in Moka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,230 in Moka.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 57% more expensive than Moka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Moka is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.55 MUR 309

101.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$44.24 MUR 2,090

21.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.64 MUR 314

41.87%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.57 MUR 122

38.13%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.95 MUR 44.79

70.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.61 MUR 28.60

81.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.16 MUR 102

44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.76 MUR 130

67.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.43 MUR 67.5

18.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.66 MUR 31.35

312.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.27 MUR 60.2

50.39%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.27 MUR 107

11.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$9.72 MUR 459

3.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.04 MUR 285

33.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.31 MUR 487

12.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.99 MUR 93.9

49.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.93 MUR 91.1

-6.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.45 MUR 68.4

38.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.70 MUR 128

-24.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.03 MUR 48.60

105.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.00 MUR 47.11

127.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.83 MUR 39.29

68.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.47 MUR 22.35

140.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$5.97 MUR 282

-28.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$8.21 MUR 388

89.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.78 MUR 84.1

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.66 MUR 78.6

116.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.00 MUR 47.18

-62.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$13.16 MUR 622

45.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$2.68 MUR 127

-48.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$2.72 MUR 129

-89.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$15.33 MUR 724

-64.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.38 MUR 65.3

-5.80%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$35.3K MUR 1.7M

-47.05%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

-20.01%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$48.75 MUR 2,303

-16.18%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$18.01 MUR 851

48.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$26.82 MUR 1,267

11.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$24.30 MUR 1,148

114.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.20 MUR 293

1.61%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$153 MUR 7,243

184.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$3,980 MUR 188.0K

161.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$77.2 MUR 3,647

-26.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$36.63 MUR 1,731

21.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$92.9 MUR 4,390

10.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$55.9 MUR 2,643

88.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$516 MUR 24.4K

98.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$327 MUR 15.5K

92.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$948 MUR 44.8K

125.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$705 MUR 33.3K

76.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$321 MUR 15.2K

247.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.25

81.44%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Moka: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $516 in Moka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 247% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $44.00 in Moka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $209 per month, with Moka 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 Moka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Moka differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $938 including rent). Moka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 247% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $516 in Moka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Moka runs roughly 46% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $153 in Moka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $938 in Moka versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Moka but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Moka 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 Moka 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 Moka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.