Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Nago, Okinawa Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Nago, Okinawa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,228 in Nago, Okinawa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,938 in Nago, Okinawa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,649 in Nago, Okinawa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 35% more expensive than in Nago, Okinawa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Nago, Okinawa is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$7.03 ¥1,103

69.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$34.58 ¥5,423

49.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$5.45 ¥855

109.36%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$3.15 ¥495

26.67%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$1.10 ¥172

50.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$0.75 ¥118

77.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$2.02 ¥317

71.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.15 ¥494

87.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.52 ¥239

23.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$1.60 ¥251

103.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$4.89 ¥767

-55.83%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$2.29 ¥359

26.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$10.25 ¥1,608

25.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.24 ¥979

61.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$15.37 ¥2,410

3.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$5.46 ¥856

-39.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$2.68 ¥420

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$4.11 ¥645

-46.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$4.65 ¥729

-49.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$3.24 ¥507

-36.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$2.68 ¥420

-29.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$1.32 ¥208

21.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.82 ¥129

70.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$4.13 ¥647

32.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$6.40 ¥1,004

175.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$1.99 ¥313

3.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$2.26 ¥355

107.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$1.65 ¥259

-79.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$56.5 ¥8,862

-63.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$3.57 ¥560

-41.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$2.98 ¥468

-81.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$21.13 ¥3,315

-72.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.18 ¥186

36.44%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$22.9K ¥3.6M

-0.17%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$17.2K ¥2.7M

55.83%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$140 ¥22.0K

-53.49%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$27.21 ¥4,269

10.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$34.62 ¥5,431

7.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$58.4 ¥9,152

2.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$13.99 ¥2,194

89.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$13.23 ¥2,075

-46.79%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$279 ¥43.8K

66.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

0.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$43.56 ¥6,833

74.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$29.02 ¥4,552

92.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$59.8 ¥9,383

87.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$93.7 ¥14.7K

28.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$468 ¥73.5K

135.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$333 ¥52.2K

116.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$867 ¥136.1K

191.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$666 ¥104.4K

94.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$2,807 ¥440.2K

42.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,774 ¥278.2K

17.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

1.81

524.31%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Nago, Okinawa: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $468 in Nago, Okinawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $35.00 in Nago, Okinawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $309 per month, with Nago, Okinawa 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 Nago, Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Nago, Okinawa differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,228 including rent). Nago, Okinawa 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 $1,842 in Nago, Okinawa 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 $468 in Nago, Okinawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nago, Okinawa runs roughly 172% 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 $279 in Nago, Okinawa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,228 in Nago, Okinawa versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nago, Okinawa but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Nago, Okinawa 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 Nago, Okinawa 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 Nago, Okinawa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.