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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $639 in Nakuru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $978 in Nakuru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,318 in Nakuru.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 162% more expensive than in Nakuru, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Nakuru is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$3.92 KES 506

209.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$34.07 KES 4,405

58.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$6.25 KES 808

77.44%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$1.97 KES 255

108.12%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.38 KES 48.59

342.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.22 KES 28.36

531.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$2.34 KES 302

42.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.77 KES 359

112.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$0.52 KES 67.6

255.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.47 KES 61.0

574.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.53 KES 197

35.29%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$1.61 KES 209

81.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$10.52 KES 1,360

19.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$6.37 KES 823

58.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$6.35 KES 821

153.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$3.38 KES 437

0.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$0.99 KES 129

110.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$2.03 KES 263

4.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.11 KES 144

117.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.06 KES 137

100.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.07 KES 139

87.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$0.67 KES 86.7

131.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.74 KES 95.4

83.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$3.56 KES 461

62.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$11.57 KES 1,496

53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$2.24 KES 290

-7.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.82 KES 364

63.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.50 KES 194

36.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$1.58 KES 205

-63.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$2.98 KES 385

103.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.50 KES 194

3.33%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$20.5K KES 2.6M

11.74%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$20.0K KES 2.6M

36.40%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$60.9 KES 7,872

10.73%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$15.19 KES 1,964

101.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$35.73 KES 4,620

4.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$7.68 KES 994

-7.42%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$241 KES 31.1K

89.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$11.8K KES 1.5M

16.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$27.54 KES 3,561

169.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$26.28 KES 3,398

116.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$64.0 KES 8,268

80.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$60.0 KES 7,762

102.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$224 KES 29.0K

411.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$137 KES 17.7K

418.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$537 KES 69.4K

379.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$197 KES 25.4K

558.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

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 Nakuru: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $224 in Nakuru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Nakuru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $198 per month, with Nakuru 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 Nakuru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Nakuru differ by about 162% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $639 including rent). Nakuru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,515 in Mexico City and $958 in Nakuru to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $224 in Nakuru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $241 in Nakuru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nakuru – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $639 in Nakuru versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nakuru but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Nakuru 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 Nakuru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 162% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.