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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,465 in Motril.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,107 in Motril.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,748 in Motril.

Monthly costs are close between Mexico City and Motril; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Motril 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$14.06 €12.10

-6.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$46.92 €40.40

14.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.88 €5.93

36.92%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.04 €1.75

74.02%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$2.13 €1.83

-23.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$1.17 €1.01

-5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.34 €2.01

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.55 €3.05

30.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.18 €1.02

44.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.57 €1.35

73.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.78 €1.53

7.30%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$3.44 €2.96

-26.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$13.94 €12.01

-28.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.69 €4.04

72.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$18.13 €15.61

-35.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.35 €2.03

26.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$2.19 €1.88

-17.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.73 €1.49

16.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$2.72 €2.34

-25.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.72 €1.48

23.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$2.06 €1.78

10.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.43 €1.23

-2.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.61 €0.53

85.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$6.66 €5.74

-35.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$6.10 €5.26

155.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.33 €1.14

32.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.30 €1.98

56.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.65 €1.42

-76.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$34.59 €29.78

-44.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$2.02 €1.74

-31.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$1.07 €0.92

-73.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$22.85 €19.68

-76.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.73 €1.49

-24.86%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$26.2K €22.5K

-28.63%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$31.5K €27.1K

-26.48%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$80.6 €69.4

-49.29%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$16.40 €14.12

63.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$23.44 €20.19

27.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$47.96 €41.30

8.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$14.92 €12.85

79.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.77 €5.83

-6.94%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$251 €217

73.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$6,547 €5,638

59.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$34.88 €30.03

62.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$28.61 €24.63

55.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$79.9 €68.8

28.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$45.63 €39.29

131.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$867 €747

17.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$687 €592

-8.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$1,303 €1,122

63.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$994 €856

25.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$3,453 €2,973

13.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$2,274 €1,958

-9.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,747 €1,504

-36.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

278.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Motril: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $867 in Motril. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Motril pays 57% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $47.00 in Motril for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $259 per month, with Motril 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 Motril: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, Motril earns 57% less. 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $867 in Motril. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $251 in Motril. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Motril – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,465 in Motril versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Motril but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Motril 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Motril are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Motril wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.