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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,185 in Nagasaki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,905 in Nagasaki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,625 in Nagasaki.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 24% more expensive than in Nagasaki, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$5.61 ¥884

134.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$20.62 ¥3,250

159.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$5.72 ¥901

63.11%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$3.10 ¥488

19.35%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.09 ¥171

46.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.80 ¥125

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.50 ¥393

25.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.39 ¥377

102.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.59 ¥250

3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.28 ¥201

111.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$4.14 ¥652

-53.86%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.28 ¥359

13.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$10.20 ¥1,608

-3.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$3.54 ¥557

138.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$20.71 ¥3,263

-42.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$3.06 ¥482

-3.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.35 ¥213

28.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.42 ¥224

43.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$5.92 ¥932

-65.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$2.84 ¥447

-24.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$3.17 ¥499

-28.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.98 ¥154

41.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.57 ¥89.5

96.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$3.84 ¥605

9.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$6.25 ¥984

180.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.99 ¥313

-14.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.13 ¥336

70.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.93 ¥146

-62.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$113 ¥17.8K

-82.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$4.10 ¥646

-66.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$2.91 ¥458

-90.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$19.65 ¥3,097

-73.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.15 ¥181

18.26%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$23.2K ¥3.6M

-17.49%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$20.4K ¥3.2M

15.82%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$215 ¥33.9K

-81.14%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$27.15 ¥4,278

0.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$35.72 ¥5,629

-14.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$55.6 ¥8,759

-6.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$13.80 ¥2,175

91.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$14.13 ¥2,227

-56.19%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$259 ¥40.9K

63.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$13.4K ¥2.1M

-19.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$43.40 ¥6,839

34.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$29.96 ¥4,720

48.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$66.6 ¥10.5K

55.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$60.1 ¥9,463

81.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$309 ¥48.7K

227.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$208 ¥32.7K

199.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$857 ¥135.1K

147.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$659 ¥103.8K

85.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$4,346 ¥684.8K

-12.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$2,051 ¥323.2K

2.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Nagasaki: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $309 in Nagasaki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in Nagasaki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $276 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 24% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,185 including rent). Nagasaki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,778 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $309 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 485% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $259 in Nagasaki. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,185 in Nagasaki versus $1,472 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 24% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.