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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $782 in Nairobi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,305 in Nairobi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,828 in Nairobi.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 88% more expensive than Nairobi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Nairobi is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$230

$5.35 KES 692

146.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$941

$38.02 KES 4,917

41.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$165

$6.91 KES 894

36.32%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$62.0

$2.39 KES 309

48.54%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$0.71 KES 91.8

128.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.46

$0.51 KES 65.5

117.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.5

$2.31 KES 298

35.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.8

$2.97 KES 385

55.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.71

$0.94 KES 121

80.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.47

$0.53 KES 68.1

413.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.39

$1.64 KES 212

16.46%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.28

$1.69 KES 218

50.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$175

$11.74 KES 1,518

-14.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$141

$6.84 KES 884

18.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$203

$5.44 KES 704

113.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.8

$3.03 KES 392

-1.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.08 KES 140

67.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.15

$2.08 KES 269

-3.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.53

$1.04 KES 135

95.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$37.10

$1.06 KES 138

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.63

$1.15 KES 149

97.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.45

$0.70 KES 90.8

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.74

$0.79 KES 102

43.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$3.04 KES 393

40.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$272

$11.67 KES 1,509

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$2.22 KES 287

-20.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.8

$2.82 KES 364

27.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.69

$0.75 KES 96.6

-49.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$335

$30.59 KES 3,956

-37.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.02

$1.59 KES 205

-13.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$1.50 KES 194

-81.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$95.1

$2.88 KES 372

89.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.77

$1.56 KES 202

-16.67%

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

$18.7K MX$326.3K

$22.0K KES 2.8M

-15.09%

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

$23.1K MX$403.9K

$20.4K KES 2.6M

13.29%

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

$40.86 MX$714

$34.70 KES 4,487

17.75%

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

$26.81 MX$468

$16.60 KES 2,147

61.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$523

$39.54 KES 5,113

-24.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$908

$43.29 KES 5,598

20.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$469

$20.63 KES 2,667

30.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$110

$6.07 KES 785

3.79%

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

$436 MX$7,616

$202 KES 26.1K

116.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$181.9K

$8,140 KES 1.1M

27.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$989

$18.28 KES 2,364

209.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$775

$23.56 KES 3,047

88.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,797

$66.4 KES 8,590

54.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,843

$56.7 KES 7,326

86.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.8K

$450 KES 58.2K

126.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$11.0K

$185 KES 23.9K

241.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.3K

$1,134 KES 146.6K

88.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.7K

$417 KES 54.0K

197.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.2K

$1,558 KES 201.5K

150.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$36.0K

$886 KES 114.5K

133.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.5K

$416 KES 53.9K

167.76%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $450 in Nairobi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 168% 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 $38.00 in Nairobi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $207 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 88% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $782 including rent). Nairobi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 168% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $450 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 59% 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 $202 in Nairobi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $782 in Nairobi versus $1,467 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 88% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.