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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,178 in Nagasaki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,884 in Nagasaki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,590 in Nagasaki.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 26% more expensive than Nagasaki, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Nagasaki is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$226

$5.50 ¥877

136.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$923

$20.61 ¥3,287

157.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$169

$5.67 ¥904

71.43%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$3.16 ¥504

18.67%

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

$1.57 MX$27.30

$1.08 ¥172

45.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.64

$0.76 ¥121

48.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.3

$2.46 ¥392

29.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.1

$2.39 ¥381

94.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.21

$1.61 ¥256

0.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.09

$1.27 ¥202

113.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.70

$4.20 ¥671

-55.24%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.65

$2.20 ¥350

14.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$175

$10.27 ¥1,639

-1.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$3.46 ¥552

139.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$208

$20.52 ¥3,273

-41.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.77

$3.20 ¥511

-10.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.45

$1.38 ¥220

26.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.27

$1.43 ¥228

45.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.27

$5.95 ¥949

-66.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.58

$2.70 ¥431

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.94

$3.28 ¥523

-33.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.20

$0.92 ¥147

51.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.57

$0.53 ¥84.1

111.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.1

$3.81 ¥607

10.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$248

$6.13 ¥978

132.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$2.01 ¥321

-12.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.1

$2.04 ¥325

80.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

$0.94 ¥150

-58.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$325

$114 ¥18.1K

-83.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.12

$4.17 ¥665

-66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.29

$2.91 ¥463

-89.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.3

$19.21 ¥3,065

-71.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.50

$1.20 ¥191

12.50%

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

$18.9K MX$328.6K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

-19.75%

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

$23.2K MX$402.8K

$20.0K ¥3.2M

15.87%

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

$40.82 MX$710

$217 ¥34.7K

-81.21%

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

$27.50 MX$479

$26.86 ¥4,285

2.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$529

$36.27 ¥5,787

-16.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$930

$56.4 ¥9,005

-5.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$458

$14.06 ¥2,243

87.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

$13.61 ¥2,172

-53.93%

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

$436 MX$7,588

$265 ¥42.2K

64.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.1K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

-22.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$988

$43.77 ¥6,982

29.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$779

$30.05 ¥4,795

49.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,789

$65.4 ¥10.4K

57.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$59.7 ¥9,521

80.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.4K

$313 ¥49.9K

219.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.8K

$206 ¥32.8K

201.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.2K

$881 ¥140.5K

142.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.5K

$654 ¥104.3K

88.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.3K

$4,531 ¥722.9K

-14.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.6K

$1,615 ¥257.7K

44.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

1.67

579.04%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Nagasaki: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $313 in Nagasaki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in Nagasaki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $275 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 26% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,178 including rent). Nagasaki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,766 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $313 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 510% 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 $265 in Nagasaki. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,178 in Nagasaki versus $1,484 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 26% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.