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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,252 in Nago, Okinawa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,962 in Nago, Okinawa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,672 in Nago, Okinawa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 17% more expensive than Nago, Okinawa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Nago, Okinawa is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$230

$7.03 ¥1,127

87.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$941

$34.41 ¥5,516

56.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$165

$5.49 ¥880

71.58%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$62.0

$3.07 ¥492

15.64%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$1.14 ¥183

42.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.46

$0.80 ¥128

38.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.5

$2.04 ¥328

52.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.8

$3.18 ¥510

45.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.71

$1.54 ¥246

10.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.47

$1.66 ¥266

63.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.39

$4.87 ¥780

-60.78%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.28

$2.23 ¥357

13.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$175

$9.89 ¥1,586

1.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$141

$6.16 ¥988

31.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$203

$15.68 ¥2,513

-25.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.8

$5.24 ¥840

-43.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$2.56 ¥410

-29.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.15

$3.90 ¥625

-48.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.53

$4.48 ¥717

-54.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$37.10

$3.22 ¥516

-34.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.63

$2.68 ¥430

-15.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.45

$1.34 ¥215

4.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.74

$0.88 ¥141

28.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$4.07 ¥652

4.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$272

$6.55 ¥1,050

137.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$1.99 ¥318

-11.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.8

$2.29 ¥367

57.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.69

$1.65 ¥264

-76.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$335

$54.9 ¥8,803

-65.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.02

$3.37 ¥540

-59.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$3.02 ¥483

-90.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$95.1

$21.14 ¥3,388

-74.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.77

$1.19 ¥190

9.24%

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

$18.7K MX$326.3K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

-20.74%

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

$23.1K MX$403.9K

$17.4K ¥2.8M

33.16%

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

$40.86 MX$714

$142 ¥22.8K

-71.23%

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

$26.81 MX$468

$26.68 ¥4,277

0.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$523

$34.57 ¥5,541

-13.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$908

$57.9 ¥9,280

-10.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$469

$13.92 ¥2,231

92.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$110

$12.92 ¥2,071

-51.24%

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

$436 MX$7,616

$283 ¥45.4K

54.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$181.9K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-20.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$989

$42.50 ¥6,813

33.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$775

$29.71 ¥4,762

49.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,797

$60.7 ¥9,730

69.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,843

$92.4 ¥14.8K

14.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.8K

$465 ¥74.6K

119.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$11.0K

$327 ¥52.4K

92.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.3K

$859 ¥137.6K

148.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.7K

$653 ¥104.6K

90.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.2K

$2,854 ¥457.5K

36.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$36.0K

$1,834 ¥294.0K

12.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

1.81

526.52%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Nago, Okinawa: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $465 in Nago, Okinawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Nago, Okinawa. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $306, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 17% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,252 including rent). Nago, Okinawa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,878 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $465 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 186% 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 $283 in Nago, Okinawa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,252 in Nago, Okinawa versus $1,467 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 17% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.