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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,683 in Moscow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $2,643 in Moscow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $3,603 in Moscow.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 13% less than in Moscow, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, Moscow 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$12.68 ₽996

3.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$57.3 ₽4,500

-6.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$6.42 ₽504

50.78%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.34 ₽262

11.98%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.39 ₽109

16.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.68 ₽53.2

70.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.42 ₽347

-26.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$4.39 ₽345

7.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.27 ₽100.0

29.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.88 ₽69.3

212.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.69 ₽133

10.65%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.92 ₽151

30.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$13.38 ₽1,051

-23.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.15 ₽483

34.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$12.27 ₽964

-3.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.94 ₽153

55.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$2.07 ₽163

-12.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.31 ₽181

-13.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$4.19 ₽330

-52.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.00 ₽78.4

108.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.86 ₽67.5

163.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.66 ₽130

-12.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.75 ₽59.2

44.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.12 ₽245

39.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$12.76 ₽1,002

33.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.08 ₽85.1

60.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.34 ₽184

52.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.87 ₽68.0

-55.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$37.34 ₽2,934

-49.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$2.57 ₽202

-48.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.44 ₽34.64

-36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$8.05 ₽632

-34.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.80 ₽63.2

67.50%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$37.8K ₽3.0M

-48.63%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$36.0K ₽2.8M

-33.85%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$150 ₽11.8K

-72.82%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$8.15 ₽640

229.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$8.13 ₽639

275.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$47.80 ₽3,755

10.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$35.23 ₽2,768

-24.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$6.33 ₽498

2.84%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$694 ₽54.5K

-38.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$14.8K ₽1.2M

-29.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$87.3 ₽6,859

-34.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$52.9 ₽4,158

-14.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$132 ₽10.4K

-21.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$164 ₽12.9K

-34.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$1,346 ₽105.7K

-25.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$757 ₽59.4K

-17.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$2,963 ₽232.8K

-28.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$1,385 ₽108.8K

-12.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$11.0K ₽865.0K

-64.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$4,689 ₽368.3K

-56.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,779 ₽139.8K

-41.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

24.39

-53.51%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Moscow: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $1,346 in Moscow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Moscow pays 71% 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 $57.0 in Moscow. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $252, with Moscow cheaper for home cooking.

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 Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Moscow differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,683 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 71% lower in Moscow. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $1,346 in Moscow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 100% less than in Moscow. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $694 in Moscow. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,683 in Moscow, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Moscow. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Moscow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.