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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,691 in Mexico City versus $1,303 in Monrovia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,599 in Mexico City versus $1,905 in Monrovia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,507 in Mexico City versus $2,506 in Monrovia.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 30% more expensive than in Monrovia, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 25% above, Monrovia is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.91 MX$203

$7.42 LRD 1,340

60.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$880

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$178

$10.78 LRD 1,949

-3.43%

Cappuccino

$3.94 MX$67.1

$2.93 LRD 529

34.47%

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

$1.65 MX$28.18

$1.94 LRD 351

-14.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 MX$22.01

$1.95 LRD 352

-33.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 MX$59.4

$4.09 LRD 739

-14.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 MX$102

$2.94 LRD 532

103.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MX$31.01

$2.10 LRD 380

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 MX$56.0

$1.83 LRD 330

79.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.32

$5.17 LRD 935

-59.96%

Eggs

$3.05 MX$52.0

$3.64 LRD 658

-16.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 MX$218

$7.49 LRD 1,354

70.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 MX$169

$11.74 LRD 2,121

-15.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.11 MX$275

$13.95 LRD 2,521

15.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 MX$58.6

$1.63 LRD 294

110.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.66

$8.61 LRD 1,556

-75.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.73

$10.27 LRD 1,856

-79.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 MX$42.79

$11.13 LRD 2,012

-77.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.54

$2.24 LRD 405

-7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.49

$10.64 LRD 1,922

-82.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$25.70

$4.61 LRD 833

-67.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.69

$2.05 LRD 371

-35.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.53 MX$94.4

$4.99 LRD 901

10.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.82 MX$304

$6.92 LRD 1,249

157.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$34.23

$2.53 LRD 457

-20.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 MX$81.3

$3.53 LRD 637

35.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MX$6.19

$2.93 LRD 530

-87.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.77 MX$354

$19.69 LRD 3,559

5.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$35.12

$1.96 LRD 355

5.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MX$10.38

$1.87 LRD 338

-67.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.79 MX$98.8

$25.13 LRD 4,541

-76.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.56

$1.21 LRD 219

33.88%

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

$22.9K MX$390.1K

$20.3K LRD 3.7M

12.60%

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

$26.3K MX$447.9K

$14.9K LRD 2.7M

76.60%

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

$65.7 MX$1,121

$149 LRD 27.0K

-56.00%

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

$29.93 MX$511

$22.11 LRD 3,995

35.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.04 MX$615

$178 LRD 32.2K

-79.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.6 MX$1,000

$61.8 LRD 11.2K

-5.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.07 MX$445

$9.81 LRD 1,773

165.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.88 MX$117

$5.03 LRD 909

36.78%

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

$448 MX$7,640

$99.7 LRD 18.0K

349.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K MX$223.9K

$986 LRD 178.2K

1231.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 MX$1,251

$25.25 LRD 4,561

190.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 MX$925

$32.05 LRD 5,791

69.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,914

$54.0 LRD 9,750

107.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,091

$92.3 LRD 16.7K

32.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 MX$18.8K

$249 LRD 45.1K

341.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$12.1K

$95.7 LRD 17.3K

641.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 MX$43.1K

$658 LRD 118.8K

283.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 MX$22.9K

$268 LRD 48.4K

401.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,913 MX$66.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,066 MX$18.2K

$711 LRD 128.5K

49.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 10, 2026

Last update for Monrovia: August 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,102 in Mexico City and $249 in Monrovia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 50% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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 Monrovia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Monrovia differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,691 vs $1,303 including rent). Monrovia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 50% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,102 in Mexico City versus $249 in Monrovia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $448 in Mexico City versus $99.7 in Monrovia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Monrovia runs roughly 5% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,303 in Monrovia versus $1,691 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Monrovia but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Monrovia 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.

Expats usually find Monrovia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.