Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Nairobi Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Nairobi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $763 in Nairobi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,342 in Mexico City versus $1,268 in Nairobi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Mexico City versus $1,772 in Nairobi.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 95% more expensive than Nairobi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Nairobi is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.29 MX$231

$5.31 KES 685

150.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$933

$37.93 KES 4,896

41.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 MX$161

$6.65 KES 859

39.70%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$2.44 KES 314

47.95%

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

$1.56 MX$27.03

$0.70 KES 90.7

122.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.46

$0.55 KES 70.4

103.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 MX$54.3

$2.31 KES 298

35.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 MX$81.7

$2.95 KES 380

59.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.54

$0.88 KES 114

93.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 MX$48.03

$0.57 KES 73.4

385.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.05

$1.59 KES 205

23.27%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.21

$1.68 KES 217

54.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 MX$173

$11.40 KES 1,471

-12.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 MX$141

$6.64 KES 857

21.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 MX$200

$5.57 KES 718

106.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MX$49.84

$3.15 KES 407

-8.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.07

$1.04 KES 135

66.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.73

$2.17 KES 280

-7.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.02 KES 131

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.14

$1.02 KES 132

103.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 MX$38.12

$1.13 KES 145

94.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.24

$0.70 KES 90.5

107.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.81 KES 104

32.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.2

$3.14 KES 405

35.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 MX$249

$11.65 KES 1,504

22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.62

$2.18 KES 281

-19.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 MX$64.2

$2.75 KES 355

34.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.12

$0.76 KES 98.0

-53.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$333

$31.27 KES 4,036

-38.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 MX$23.18

$1.52 KES 196

-11.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$1.50 KES 194

-81.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 MX$92.6

$2.85 KES 367

87.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.54 KES 199

-12.99%

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

$19.1K MX$332.0K

$21.9K KES 2.8M

-12.61%

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

$23.9K MX$414.5K

$20.3K KES 2.6M

17.55%

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

$39.86 MX$692

$34.60 KES 4,466

15.20%

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

$26.78 MX$465

$16.64 KES 2,148

60.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.36 MX$510

$39.82 KES 5,140

-26.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$927

$42.27 KES 5,455

26.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.09 MX$453

$20.64 KES 2,664

26.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$111

$6.26 KES 807

2.24%

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

$440 MX$7,647

$204 KES 26.3K

116.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MX$186.6K

$7,885 KES 1.0M

36.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 MX$1,000

$18.29 KES 2,361

215.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.02 MX$781

$23.62 KES 3,049

90.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,801

$66.2 KES 8,543

56.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,874

$56.7 KES 7,312

90.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 MX$17.6K

$449 KES 57.9K

125.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 MX$10.9K

$184 KES 23.7K

243.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 MX$37.5K

$1,129 KES 145.7K

91.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 MX$21.2K

$433 KES 55.9K

181.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,793 MX$65.8K

$1,566 KES 202.1K

142.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.5K

$903 KES 116.6K

158.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 MX$18.7K

$406 KES 52.4K

164.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

14.84

-23.58%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,013 in Mexico City and $449 in Nairobi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 165% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $38 in Nairobi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $205 per month, with Nairobi 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 Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Nairobi differ by about 95% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $763 including rent). Nairobi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 165% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,013 in Mexico City versus $449 in Nairobi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nairobi runs roughly 63% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $440 in Mexico City versus $204 in Nairobi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $763 in Nairobi versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nairobi but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Nairobi 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.

Expats usually find Nairobi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.