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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $765 in Nairobi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,299 in Nairobi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,832 in Nairobi.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 90% more expensive than in Nairobi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Nairobi is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$5.55 KES 717

135.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$38.48 KES 4,973

39.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$6.64 KES 858

45.78%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.49 KES 322

50.20%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.70 KES 91.1

131.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.50 KES 65.0

132.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.36 KES 306

36.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.83 KES 366

67.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$0.86 KES 111

91.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.56 KES 72.6

391.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.60 KES 207

16.88%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.68 KES 216

48.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$11.71 KES 1,513

-12.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.91 KES 894

19.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$5.64 KES 729

109.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$3.08 KES 398

-2.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.07 KES 139

69.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.06 KES 266

-2.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.04 KES 135

92.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.07 KES 138

94.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.15 KES 149

97.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.65 KES 84.5

124.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.75 KES 96.6

44.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.16 KES 409

37.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$11.79 KES 1,524

44.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$2.21 KES 285

-21.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.83 KES 365

26.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.75 KES 97.4

-48.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$30.90 KES 3,993

-39.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.53 KES 198

-13.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.50 KES 193

-81.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$2.95 KES 382

77.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.53 KES 198

-12.42%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$22.1K KES 2.9M

-12.07%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$19.8K KES 2.6M

20.59%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$33.74 KES 4,360

20.60%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$16.72 KES 2,160

60.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$38.94 KES 5,032

-21.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$43.13 KES 5,574

22.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$20.62 KES 2,665

29.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$6.36 KES 822

2.36%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$205 KES 26.5K

108.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$8,113 KES 1.0M

29.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$18.49 KES 2,389

209.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$23.69 KES 3,062

92.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$64.3 KES 8,310

61.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$55.6 KES 7,185

93.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$438 KES 56.7K

128.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$186 KES 24.1K

234.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$1,142 KES 147.5K

84.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$432 KES 55.8K

182.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,526 KES 197.2K

154.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$909 KES 117.5K

123.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$431 KES 55.7K

140.76%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $438 in Nairobi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 141% 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 $292 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 90% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $765 including rent). Nairobi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 141% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $438 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 65% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $205 in Nairobi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $765 in Nairobi versus $1,456 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 90% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.