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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $587 in Nakuru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $995 in Nakuru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,403 in Nakuru.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 150% more expensive than Nakuru, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Nakuru is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.42 KES 442

285.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$37.95 KES 4,912

42.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.92 KES 895

36.13%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$1.70 KES 220

108.82%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.38 KES 48.72

326.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.32 KES 41.52

246.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.37 KES 177

127.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$1.54 KES 199

200.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$0.52 KES 67.2

226.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.48 KES 61.9

466.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.16 KES 150

64.66%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.32 KES 170

92.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.94 KES 1,027

26.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.44 KES 834

25.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$4.19 KES 543

177.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.71 KES 221

73.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$0.44 KES 57.4

311.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.78 KES 230

12.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$0.55 KES 71.7

269.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$0.40 KES 52.3

430.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$0.57 KES 73.2

298.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.64 KES 82.7

118.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.61 KES 78.5

85.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$1.98 KES 256

115.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$11.49 KES 1,487

35.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.58 KES 205

11.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.79 KES 232

101.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.79 KES 102

-51.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$26.55 KES 3,437

-27.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.53 KES 198

-9.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.75 KES 96.9

-62.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$2.81 KES 364

93.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.26 KES 163

3.17%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$12.5K KES 1.6M

49.15%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$14.9K KES 1.9M

55.46%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$31.44 KES 4,069

29.96%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$16.75 KES 2,169

60.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$39.81 KES 5,153

-24.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$45.56 KES 5,898

14.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.39 KES 698

16.88%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$200 KES 25.9K

117.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$3,810 KES 493.2K

173.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$18.28 KES 2,366

209.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$23.64 KES 3,060

87.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$37.95 KES 4,913

171.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$54.6 KES 7,071

93.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$229 KES 29.6K

346.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$115 KES 14.9K

448.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$384 KES 49.7K

456.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$271 KES 35.0K

359.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

12.5

-9.28%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Nakuru: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $229 in Nakuru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in Nakuru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $156 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 150% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $587 including rent). Nakuru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $881 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $229 in Nakuru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nakuru runs roughly 38% 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 $200 in Nakuru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $587 in Nakuru versus $1,467 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 150% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.