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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,199 in Nagano.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,906 in Nagano.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,614 in Nagano.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 37% more expensive than in Nagano, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Nagano is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$6.16 ¥962

96.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$43.16 ¥6,742

21.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$5.08 ¥794

114.57%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$3.49 ¥546

16.05%

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

$1.72 MX$28.99

$1.04 ¥162

65.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.28

$0.77 ¥121

79.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$2.44 ¥381

42.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$3.20 ¥500

81.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.32

$1.42 ¥222

30.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$1.71 ¥267

88.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.24

$3.68 ¥574

-43.21%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.16

$2.05 ¥319

41.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$11.57 ¥1,808

7.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$5.91 ¥923

71.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$14.01 ¥2,189

13.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$5.47 ¥854

-39.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.94

$2.80 ¥438

-23.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.02

$2.80 ¥437

-21.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.36

$4.27 ¥668

-42.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.99

$2.48 ¥388

-11.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.19

$2.56 ¥399

-25.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.30

$1.22 ¥190

32.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.81

$0.75 ¥117

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$3.69 ¥577

47.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$6.41 ¥1,001

174.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.95

$1.72 ¥269

20.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$1.99 ¥311

138.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.74

$1.33 ¥208

-74.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$47.96 ¥7,492

-55.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.48

$3.11 ¥486

-34.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$2.52 ¥394

-76.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$20.73 ¥3,239

-71.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.30

$1.10 ¥171

47.27%

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

$20.8K ¥3.3M

9.44%

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

$26.7K MX$450.6K

$18.4K ¥2.9M

45.29%

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

$65.2 MX$1,102

$128 ¥20.0K

-49.15%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$23.65 ¥3,694

26.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$12.62 ¥1,972

189.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$51.2 ¥8,000

19.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$12.43 ¥1,942

-44.89%

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

$453 MX$7,662

$634 ¥99.0K

-28.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$14.3K ¥2.2M

-6.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$61.7 ¥9,635

21.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$934

$31.70 ¥4,951

74.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$61.3 ¥9,573

85.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$102 ¥15.9K

20.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$454 ¥71.0K

149.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$356 ¥55.7K

99.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.4K

$1,092 ¥170.5K

135.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$720 ¥112.5K

82.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$4,178 ¥652.6K

-4.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,778 ¥277.7K

17.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$616 ¥96.2K

69.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.12

433.02%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Nagano: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $454 in Nagano. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 70% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $43.00 in Nagano for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $289 per month, with Nagano 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 Nagano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Nagano differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,199 including rent). Nagano is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 70% 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $454 in Nagano. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nagano runs roughly 122% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $634 in Nagano. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,199 in Nagano versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nagano but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Nagano 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 Nagano gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.