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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,176 in Nagano.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,896 in Nagano.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,616 in Nagano.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 25% more expensive than Nagano, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Nagano is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.76 ¥1,082

94.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$35.32 ¥5,650

52.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.09 ¥655

130.32%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.51 ¥562

1.14%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.09 ¥174

48.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.64 ¥102

73.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.10 ¥336

48.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.06 ¥330

124.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.25 ¥200

36.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.22 ¥194

122.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$4.67 ¥748

-59.10%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.52 ¥243

67.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$12.24 ¥1,957

-18.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$12.25 ¥1,959

-33.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$16.89 ¥2,702

-31.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$7.52 ¥1,202

-60.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$2.57 ¥412

-29.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$4.55 ¥729

-55.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$4.44 ¥710

-54.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$3.73 ¥597

-43.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$3.60 ¥575

-36.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.07 ¥171

30.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.66 ¥106

71.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$5.58 ¥892

-23.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$9.13 ¥1,460

70.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.50 ¥399

-29.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$3.56 ¥570

1.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.49 ¥238

-74.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$56.0 ¥8,960

-65.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$3.14 ¥502

-56.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$3.00 ¥480

-90.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$20.41 ¥3,265

-73.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.16 ¥185

12.07%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$23.8K ¥3.8M

-21.49%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$17.4K ¥2.8M

33.16%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$82.9 ¥13.3K

-50.70%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$29.54 ¥4,724

-9.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$17.05 ¥2,728

75.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$56.0 ¥8,949

-7.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$14.08 ¥2,253

90.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$11.51 ¥1,841

-45.26%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$281 ¥45.0K

54.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$13.3K ¥2.1M

-21.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$44.14 ¥7,060

28.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$29.58 ¥4,731

50.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$60.2 ¥9,630

70.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$96.0 ¥15.3K

9.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$483 ¥77.2K

111.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$275 ¥43.9K

129.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$854 ¥136.6K

150.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$665 ¥106.4K

86.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$633 ¥101.3K

76.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

467.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Nagano: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $483 in Nagano. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 76% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $35.00 in Nagano. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $360, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 25% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,176 including rent). Nagano is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 76% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $483 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 192% 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 $281 in Nagano. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,176 in Nagano versus $1,467 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 25% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.