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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,212 in Nagasaki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,912 in Nagasaki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,611 in Nagasaki.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 19% more expensive than Nagasaki, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Nagasaki is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$5.46 ¥874

137.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$21.08 ¥3,372

149.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$5.56 ¥890

69.60%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$3.03 ¥485

17.82%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.04 ¥166

54.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.74 ¥119

55.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.50 ¥400

26.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.39 ¥382

103.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.55 ¥248

9.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.23 ¥197

114.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$4.05 ¥648

-53.09%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.22 ¥355

14.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$10.48 ¥1,677

-3.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$3.48 ¥557

138.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$20.73 ¥3,315

-44.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$3.06 ¥489

-0.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.43 ¥228

19.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.35 ¥216

51.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$5.94 ¥950

-65.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$2.82 ¥450

-26.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$3.27 ¥523

-33.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.92 ¥147

52.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.53 ¥84.6

111.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.86 ¥617

11.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$6.19 ¥990

148.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.92 ¥307

-13.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.06 ¥330

79.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.01 ¥162

-62.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$115 ¥18.3K

-83.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$4.02 ¥644

-65.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$2.96 ¥473

-90.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$19.97 ¥3,193

-72.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.20 ¥192

6.67%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

-19.27%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$20.3K ¥3.3M

15.34%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$219 ¥35.1K

-81.28%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$27.32 ¥4,370

-1.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$36.23 ¥5,794

-18.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$55.3 ¥8,843

-5.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$14.05 ¥2,247

86.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$13.79 ¥2,206

-55.18%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$260 ¥41.6K

64.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$13.3K ¥2.1M

-19.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$44.07 ¥7,049

28.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$29.14 ¥4,660

53.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$67.1 ¥10.7K

55.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$60.6 ¥9,685

74.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$316 ¥50.5K

214.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$205 ¥32.7K

203.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$852 ¥136.3K

149.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$668 ¥106.8K

87.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$4,621 ¥739.1K

-15.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$2,324 ¥371.7K

-9.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Nagasaki: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $316 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 $288 vs $274 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 19% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,212 including rent). Nagasaki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,818 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $316 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 501% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $260 in Nagasaki. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,212 in Nagasaki versus $1,447 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 19% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.