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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $830 in Montana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,325 in Montana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,820 in Montana.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 75% more expensive than in Montana, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Montana is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$10.82 BGN 18.00

20.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$34.78 BGN 57.9

54.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$7.81 BGN 12.99

23.94%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.48 BGN 2.46

152.70%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.40 BGN 2.33

15.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.90 BGN 1.49

28.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.39 BGN 2.31

132.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$1.07 BGN 1.78

342.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.74 BGN 2.89

-5.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.94 BGN 1.56

192.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.82 BGN 3.03

2.75%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.71 BGN 4.51

-7.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$9.40 BGN 15.64

8.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$3.29 BGN 5.47

150.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$12.91 BGN 21.48

-8.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.26 BGN 2.09

138.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$2.51 BGN 4.18

-27.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.92 BGN 3.19

4.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$2.00 BGN 3.33

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.84 BGN 1.40

147.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.79 BGN 1.31

187.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.36 BGN 2.26

7.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.56 BGN 0.92

92.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.60 BGN 5.99

20.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$5.77 BGN 9.60

194.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$0.92 BGN 1.52

88.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.70 BGN 2.83

110.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.92 BGN 1.53

-57.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$35.46 BGN 59.0

-47.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.67 BGN 1.12

98.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.44 BGN 0.73

-36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$10.35 BGN 17.22

-49.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.51 BGN 2.51

-11.26%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$19.7K BGN 32.8K

-1.65%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$24.4K BGN 40.6K

-2.30%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$99.2 BGN 165

-58.98%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$17.07 BGN 28.40

57.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$8.91 BGN 14.82

242.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$20.57 BGN 34.22

156.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$8.65 BGN 14.40

208.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$5.56 BGN 9.25

17.09%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$322 BGN 536

32.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$5,484 BGN 9,123

91.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$54.0 BGN 89.8

6.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$29.94 BGN 49.81

51.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$75.0 BGN 125

38.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$105 BGN 174

3.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$218 BGN 363

360.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$159 BGN 265

291.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$409 BGN 681

415.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$304 BGN 506

300.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,331 BGN 2,214

191.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,109 BGN 1,845

83.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,018 BGN 1,693

1.98%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Montana: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $218 in Montana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 2% 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 $292 vs $203 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 75% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $830 including rent). Montana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $218 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 90% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $322 in Montana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $830 in Montana versus $1,456 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 75% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.