Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Nairobi

For one person, living is cheaper in Nairobi: $885 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Nairobi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Nairobi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $885 in Nairobi.

Mexico City $1,608
Nairobi $885

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,436 in Nairobi.

Mexico City $2,549
Nairobi $1,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,987 in Nairobi.

Mexico City $3,490
Nairobi $1,987

Living in Mexico City is roughly 82% more expensive than in Nairobi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Nairobi is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$6.43 KES 835

65.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$34.51 KES 4,482

40.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$6.26 KES 813

65.34%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$2.60 KES 338

41.92%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$0.64 KES 82.9

160.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$0.67 KES 86.8

89.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$2.30 KES 299

38.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$2.75 KES 357

93.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$0.95 KES 123

81.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$0.59 KES 76.2

415.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$2.00 KES 260

-3.00%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$1.69 KES 220

71.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$11.01 KES 1,430

-0.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$6.41 KES 832

44.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$6.41 KES 832

136.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$3.42 KES 444

-10.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.06 KES 138

83.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$2.03 KES 263

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$1.14 KES 147

102.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$1.10 KES 143

85.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$1.10 KES 143

63.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$0.74 KES 96.0

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$0.76 KES 99.1

67.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$3.38 KES 438

56.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$11.65 KES 1,513

38.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$2.26 KES 293

-12.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$2.74 KES 356

55.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$0.83 KES 108

-62.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$46.81 KES 6,079

-57.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$1.52 KES 197

21.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$1.52 KES 198

-65.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$2.80 KES 364

89.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$1.55 KES 202

-2.58%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$19.4K KES 2.5M

12.26%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$22.2K KES 2.9M

7.97%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$56.7 KES 7,359

11.13%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$15.25 KES 1,981

79.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$34.78 KES 4,516

2.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$51.6 KES 6,705

14.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$15.64 KES 2,031

51.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$7.60 KES 987

-15.79%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$277 KES 36.0K

55.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-7.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$27.73 KES 3,601

146.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$29.36 KES 3,812

80.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$69.3 KES 9,000

55.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$59.1 KES 7,671

98.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$441 KES 57.3K

152.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$235 KES 30.6K

201.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$1,131 KES 146.9K

128.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$522 KES 67.8K

169.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$1,234 KES 160.2K

194.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$805 KES 104.5K

165.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$484 KES 62.9K

95.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

14.71

-22.84%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Nairobi

$235 26.6% 66.9% $475

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Nairobi

$209 23.7% 34.5% $110

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Nairobi

$124 14% 37.7% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Nairobi

$83 9.4% 46.5% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Nairobi

$107 12.1% 15.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Nairobi

$67 7.6% 6.8% $4.9

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Nairobi

$59 6.7% 133% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $441 in Nairobi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 95% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $35 in Nairobi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $209 per month, with Nairobi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🕒 Local time

13:59 1:59 PM

22:59 10:59 PM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

3,138,295 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Nairobi 14,820 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $885 in Nairobi, so Nairobi is about 45% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 95% 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $441 in Nairobi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 58% less than in Nairobi. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $277 in Nairobi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Nairobi is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Nairobi is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Nairobi wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.