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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,218 in Nagasaki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,844 in Nagasaki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,470 in Nagasaki.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 36% more expensive than in Nagasaki, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Nagasaki is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$5.21 ¥813

128.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$19.09 ¥2,979

170.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$5.08 ¥792

124.61%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$3.41 ¥532

17.01%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$1.02 ¥159

62.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.65 ¥101

104.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.23 ¥347

55.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.33 ¥363

153.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.57 ¥245

19.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.97 ¥307

64.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$6.30 ¥982

-65.71%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$2.15 ¥335

34.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$9.77 ¥1,524

31.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$3.21 ¥501

213.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$19.61 ¥3,059

-19.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$3.70 ¥577

-11.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.84 ¥286

9.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$3.00 ¥467

-26.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$3.34 ¥522

-29.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$2.30 ¥358

-10.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$2.56 ¥399

-25.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.11 ¥173

45.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.01 ¥158

38.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$4.05 ¥633

34.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$6.36 ¥993

177.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.78 ¥277

15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$1.94 ¥303

141.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$1.35 ¥210

-74.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$58.5 ¥9,125

-64.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$3.96 ¥618

-46.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$2.09 ¥326

-73.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$18.67 ¥2,912

-68.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.13 ¥176

42.48%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$22.4K ¥3.5M

2.00%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$17.9K ¥2.8M

49.31%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$195 ¥30.4K

-66.57%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$25.63 ¥3,999

17.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$34.84 ¥5,437

6.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$48.26 ¥7,531

23.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$11.25 ¥1,756

-37.42%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$130 ¥20.3K

257.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$12.4K ¥1.9M

7.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$38.36 ¥5,986

97.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$24.70 ¥3,854

126.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$61.0 ¥9,522

83.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$48.40 ¥7,552

148.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$506 ¥78.9K

117.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$312 ¥48.7K

130.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$1,033 ¥161.1K

145.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$776 ¥121.1K

66.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$3,749 ¥584.9K

6.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,816 ¥283.4K

15.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

1.85

510.81%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Nagasaki: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $506 in Nagasaki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Nagasaki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $286 per month, with Nagasaki 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 Nagasaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Nagasaki differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,218 including rent). Nagasaki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,827 in Nagasaki to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $506 in Nagasaki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nagasaki runs roughly 181% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $130 in Nagasaki. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,218 in Nagasaki versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nagasaki but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Nagasaki 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Nagasaki are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nagasaki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.