Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Mumbai (Bombay) Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Mumbai (Bombay)

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $781 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,281 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,781 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Living in Mexico City is roughly 85% more expensive than Mumbai (Bombay), driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Mumbai (Bombay) is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$5.13 ₹488

153.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$22.35 ₹2,126

135.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$4.69 ₹446

101.07%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.65 ₹252

34.72%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.47 ₹44.56

242.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.19 ₹18.19

505.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.28 ₹217

38.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$4.12 ₹392

17.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$0.74 ₹70.2

129.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.52 ₹49.55

407.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$0.84 ₹79.5

126.19%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$1.07 ₹102

137.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$7.05 ₹671

42.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$3.93 ₹374

110.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$2.34 ₹223

29.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$0.77 ₹73.1

122.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.31 ₹125

56.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$0.64 ₹60.6

221.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$0.53 ₹50.0

288.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$0.63 ₹59.7

244.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.69 ₹65.7

102.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.35 ₹33.47

220.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$4.16 ₹396

3.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$8.59 ₹817

79.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$2.14 ₹203

-21.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$3.24 ₹309

13.89%

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

$7.22 ₹686

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.24 ₹22.96

58.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$4.73 ₹450

302.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.37 ₹34.92

272.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$1.43 ₹136

279.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.22 ₹116

4.92%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$17.4K ₹1.7M

9.34%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$25.4K ₹2.4M

-7.66%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$51.2 ₹4,865

-19.80%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$5.03 ₹478

435.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$8.65 ₹823

243.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$22.99 ₹2,186

127.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$11.83 ₹1,125

121.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$4.53 ₹431

36.42%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$121 ₹11.5K

251.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$3,356 ₹319.1K

218.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$29.19 ₹2,776

94.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$30.76 ₹2,925

45.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$56.6 ₹5,385

84.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$41.02 ₹3,901

158.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$695 ₹66.1K

43.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$350 ₹33.3K

77.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$1,778 ₹169.1K

19.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$835 ₹79.4K

50.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$6,331 ₹602.1K

-38.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$2,639 ₹251.0K

-20.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$737 ₹70.1K

50.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.22

22.99%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $695 in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 50% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $22.00 in Mumbai (Bombay) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $130 per month, with Mumbai (Bombay) 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 Mumbai (Bombay): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Mumbai (Bombay) differ by about 85% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $781 including rent). Mumbai (Bombay) is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 50% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $695 in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mumbai (Bombay) runs roughly 303% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $121 in Mumbai (Bombay). Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $781 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mumbai (Bombay) but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Mumbai (Bombay) 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 Mumbai (Bombay) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.