Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Muzaffarabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Muzaffarabad: $385 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Muzaffarabad
Learn more

Muzaffarabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Muzaffarabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$385

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Muzaffarabad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Muzaffarabad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $385 in Muzaffarabad.

Mexico City $1,548
Muzaffarabad $385

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $558 in Muzaffarabad.

Mexico City $2,436
Muzaffarabad $558

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $730 in Muzaffarabad.

Mexico City $3,323
Muzaffarabad $730

Living in Mexico City is roughly 302% more expensive than in Muzaffarabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Muzaffarabad is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$1.40 PKR 387

687.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$8.97 PKR 2,482

442.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$2.21 PKR 613

393.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 PKR 406

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 PKR 822

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$1.06 PKR 293

247.17%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$0.41 PKR 112

297.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.21 PKR 58.8

495.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.00 PKR 276

70.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$0.68 PKR 187

344.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$0.94 PKR 261

104.26%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$0.93 PKR 258

193.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$3.58 PKR 991

228.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$2.55 PKR 707

273.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$3.28 PKR 908

339.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.10 PKR 305

174.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$0.56 PKR 156

237.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$0.37 PKR 103

437.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$0.35 PKR 95.9

525.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$0.35 PKR 96.7

448.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$0.28 PKR 77.5

567.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$0.42 PKR 115

242.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.25 PKR 69.0

408.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.41 PKR 390

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PKR 206

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 PKR 193

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$0.87 PKR 241

500.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.19 PKR 52.7

78.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$10.03 PKR 2,776

95.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$1.09 PKR 303

83.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$0.73 PKR 203

-28.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$1.40 PKR 389

281.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$0.95 PKR 262

60.00%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$22.3K PKR 6.2M

-0.90%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$25.6K PKR 7.1M

-4.29%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$118 PKR 32.5K

-48.03%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$5.53 PKR 1,530

416.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$9.20 PKR 2,547

274.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$14.84 PKR 4,107

279.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$8.20 PKR 2,269

203.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$2.05 PKR 567

224.88%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$46.79 PKR 13.0K

812.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$1,039 PKR 287.6K

1019.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$5.46 PKR 1,512

1141.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$8.83 PKR 2,444

488.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$49.77 PKR 13.8K

113.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$10.63 PKR 2,942

958.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$124 PKR 34.4K

723.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$76.1 PKR 21.0K

760.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$256 PKR 70.8K

802.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$146 PKR 40.5K

747.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$947 PKR 262.0K

281.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$483 PKR 133.7K

300.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$289 PKR 80.1K

233.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-24.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Muzaffarabad: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Muzaffarabad

$76 19.7% 88.4% $578

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Muzaffarabad

$76 19.7% 76.1% $242

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Muzaffarabad

$33 8.6% 83.8% $171

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Muzaffarabad

$34 8.7% 77.9% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Muzaffarabad

$132 34.3% 6.5% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Muzaffarabad

$19 4.9% 72.8% $51

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Muzaffarabad

$16 4% 39.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $124 in Muzaffarabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 233% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $9.00 in Muzaffarabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $76.0 per month, with Muzaffarabad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇰 Muzaffarabad

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

16:40 4:40 PM

11 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

149,913

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Muzaffarabad 13,980 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Muzaffarabad

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Muzaffarabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Muzaffarabad differ by about 302% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $385 including rent). Muzaffarabad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 233% 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $124 in Muzaffarabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Muzaffarabad runs roughly 96% 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 $46.79 in Muzaffarabad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $385 in Muzaffarabad versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Muzaffarabad but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Muzaffarabad 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 Muzaffarabad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 302% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.