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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $398 in Morena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $641 in Morena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $885 in Morena.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 321% more expensive than in Morena, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Morena is 71% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$2.07 ₹198

486.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$10.54 ₹1,007

411.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$3.75 ₹359

195.73%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.40 ₹229

70.83%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.46 ₹43.74

265.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.14 ₹13.59

892.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$2.61 ₹249

27.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$3.13 ₹299

87.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$0.61 ₹58.2

203.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.46 ₹43.56

589.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$0.55 ₹52.1

276.36%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$1.20 ₹115

144.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$3.50 ₹335

259.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$3.68 ₹352

174.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$1.28 ₹123

164.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$0.43 ₹41.12

383.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$0.55 ₹52.3

285.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$0.36 ₹34.25

569.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$0.32 ₹30.50

565.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$0.30 ₹28.96

570.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$0.64 ₹61.2

142.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.29 ₹27.46

368.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$4.95 ₹473

16.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$10.69 ₹1,021

65.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$2.22 ₹212

-6.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$3.04 ₹291

51.64%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$7.65 ₹730

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.27 ₹25.95

37.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$7.19 ₹687

194.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.03 ₹98.4

99.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.25 ₹23.71

132.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$2.08 ₹199

191.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.07 ₹103

44.86%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$14.8K ₹1.4M

54.64%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$23.8K ₹2.3M

14.44%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$15.82 ₹1,512

326.11%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$4.85 ₹463

531.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$8.44 ₹806

341.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$13.90 ₹1,328

342.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$6.62 ₹632

309.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$5.41 ₹517

31.42%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$47.60 ₹4,548

858.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$1,419 ₹135.5K

865.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$31.18 ₹2,979

137.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$28.03 ₹2,678

103.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$58.2 ₹5,563

98.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$50.8 ₹4,854

139.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$124 ₹11.9K

821.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$75.0 ₹7,162

846.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$263 ₹25.1K

881.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$170 ₹16.2K

662.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$977 ₹93.4K

309.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$524 ₹50.0K

306.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$263 ₹25.1K

312.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

8.76

29.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Morena: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $124 in Morena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 312% 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 $11.00 in Morena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $106 per month, with Morena 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 Morena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Morena differ by about 321% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $398 including rent). Morena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 312% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $124 in Morena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Morena runs roughly 195% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $47.60 in Morena. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $398 in Morena versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Morena but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Morena 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 Morena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 321% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.