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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $842 in Montana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,323 in Montana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,805 in Montana.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 74% more expensive than Montana, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Montana is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$10.45 BGN 17.38

26.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$34.87 BGN 58.0

54.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.92 BGN 13.18

18.94%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$1.46 BGN 2.44

143.15%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.38 BGN 2.29

17.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.87 BGN 1.45

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.32 BGN 2.20

136.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$1.04 BGN 1.73

345.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.70 BGN 2.83

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.00 BGN 1.66

172.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.81 BGN 3.02

5.52%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.65 BGN 4.40

-4.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$9.49 BGN 15.79

5.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.25 BGN 5.41

148.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$12.84 BGN 21.36

-9.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.26 BGN 2.10

135.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$2.62 BGN 4.36

-30.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.99 BGN 3.31

1.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$2.10 BGN 3.50

-3.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$0.84 BGN 1.39

152.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$0.74 BGN 1.23

206.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.36 BGN 2.26

2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.51 BGN 0.85

121.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.55 BGN 5.91

20.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$5.90 BGN 9.81

163.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$0.91 BGN 1.51

93.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.71 BGN 2.85

110.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.92 BGN 1.53

-58.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$35.97 BGN 59.9

-46.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.67 BGN 1.11

105.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.43 BGN 0.72

-34.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$10.60 BGN 17.63

-48.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.51 BGN 2.51

-13.91%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$20.1K BGN 33.5K

-7.12%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$24.4K BGN 40.6K

-5.13%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$99.0 BGN 165

-58.74%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$17.04 BGN 28.35

57.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$8.88 BGN 14.78

237.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$20.79 BGN 34.58

150.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$9.07 BGN 15.09

195.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.68 BGN 9.45

10.92%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$324 BGN 539

34.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$5,558 BGN 9,246

87.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$52.9 BGN 87.9

7.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$29.33 BGN 48.79

51.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$72.5 BGN 121

41.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$106 BGN 177

-0.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$223 BGN 371

358.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$164 BGN 273

284.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$414 BGN 688

416.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$305 BGN 507

307.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$1,352 BGN 2,249

188.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,090 BGN 1,813

89.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,036 BGN 1,723

7.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.2

254.38%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Montana: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $223 in Montana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 8% 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 $35.00 in Montana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $204 per month, with Montana 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 Montana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Montana differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $842 including rent). Montana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 8% 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 $223 in Montana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Montana runs roughly 88% 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 $324 in Montana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $842 in Montana versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Montana but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Montana 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 Montana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.