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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $759 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,262 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,766 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Living in Mexico City is roughly 95% more expensive than Mumbai (Bombay), driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Mumbai (Bombay) is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$5.31 ₹504

144.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$22.21 ₹2,108

138.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$4.67 ₹443

108.14%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.62 ₹249

43.13%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.51 ₹48.04

207.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.15 ₹14.08

653.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.27 ₹216

40.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$4.09 ₹388

13.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$0.80 ₹75.7

102.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.52 ₹49.64

421.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$0.82 ₹77.5

129.27%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.09 ₹104

130.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$7.02 ₹666

43.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.89 ₹369

113.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.38 ₹226

20.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$0.80 ₹76.3

118.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.30 ₹123

60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$0.65 ₹61.7

203.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.57 ₹53.7

278.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$0.63 ₹60.2

246.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.63 ₹60.1

120.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.33 ₹31.00

239.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$4.00 ₹380

5.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$8.07 ₹766

76.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.16 ₹205

-18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$3.39 ₹322

8.55%

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

$7.13 ₹677

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.24 ₹22.82

62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$4.63 ₹440

303.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.34 ₹32.17

308.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$1.40 ₹133

287.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.22 ₹116

10.66%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$17.3K ₹1.6M

9.39%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$25.3K ₹2.4M

-8.39%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$50.2 ₹4,764

-18.65%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$5.00 ₹474

450.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$8.79 ₹835

245.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$23.18 ₹2,201

130.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$11.81 ₹1,121

122.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$4.70 ₹446

33.40%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$121 ₹11.5K

261.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$3,385 ₹321.4K

209.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$29.30 ₹2,782

93.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$30.72 ₹2,917

45.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$55.0 ₹5,225

86.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$39.51 ₹3,751

173.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$694 ₹65.9K

44.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$359 ₹34.1K

72.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$1,797 ₹170.6K

18.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$821 ₹77.9K

50.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$6,515 ₹618.6K

-40.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$2,661 ₹252.6K

-12.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$719 ₹68.3K

48.44%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $694 in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 48% 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 $286 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 95% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $759 including rent). Mumbai (Bombay) is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 48% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $694 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 $436 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 $759 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $1,484 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 95% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.