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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $836 in Nairobi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,368 in Nairobi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,900 in Nairobi.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 101% more expensive than in Nairobi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Nairobi is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$3.94 KES 509

208.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$34.11 KES 4,410

58.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$6.21 KES 803

78.58%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.71 KES 351

51.29%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.60 KES 78.2

180.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.56 KES 73.0

148.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$2.39 KES 309

39.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.77 KES 358

112.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$0.84 KES 109

120.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.52 KES 67.8

509.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.88 KES 243

10.11%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$1.63 KES 211

79.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$10.57 KES 1,366

19.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$6.27 KES 810

61.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$6.13 KES 792

162.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$3.31 KES 428

2.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.04 KES 135

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$2.06 KES 266

2.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.07 KES 139

125.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.11 KES 143

91.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.07 KES 139

87.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$0.72 KES 93.6

115.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.73 KES 94.3

86.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$3.49 KES 452

65.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$11.54 KES 1,492

53.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$2.23 KES 288

-7.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.87 KES 371

60.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.79 KES 102

-53.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$45.54 KES 5,889

-53.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.59 KES 206

28.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$1.51 KES 195

-61.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$2.94 KES 380

106.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.52 KES 197

1.97%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$20.2K KES 2.6M

13.00%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$19.4K KES 2.5M

40.31%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$60.5 KES 7,816

11.51%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$15.08 KES 1,950

103.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$35.24 KES 4,557

5.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$51.0 KES 6,598

20.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$14.83 KES 1,918

82.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$7.66 KES 990

-7.18%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$242 KES 31.3K

88.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$11.7K KES 1.5M

17.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$26.74 KES 3,458

177.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$25.62 KES 3,313

122.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$62.3 KES 8,051

85.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$61.1 KES 7,905

98.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$452 KES 58.5K

153.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$215 KES 27.8K

230.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$1,135 KES 146.8K

127.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$508 KES 65.7K

154.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$1,302 KES 168.4K

207.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$917 KES 118.5K

132.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$484 KES 62.6K

123.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

14.71

-23.18%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $452 in Nairobi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 123% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Nairobi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $203 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 101% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $836 including rent). Nairobi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 123% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $452 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 115% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $242 in Nairobi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $836 in Nairobi versus $1,677 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 101% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.