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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $641 in Nanchong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,016 in Nanchong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,391 in Nanchong.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 126% more expensive than Nanchong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Nanchong is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$1.63 ¥10.99

696.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$21.10 ¥143

149.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$3.38 ¥22.84

178.99%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.38 ¥16.08

50.00%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.40 ¥2.69

302.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.29 ¥1.98

296.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$0.94 ¥6.33

235.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$1.71 ¥11.58

184.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.71 ¥11.59

-0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.26 ¥8.54

109.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$0.73 ¥4.96

160.27%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$1.36 ¥9.18

86.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$15.40 ¥104

-34.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$2.62 ¥17.69

216.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$10.22 ¥69.1

13.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.13 ¥7.64

168.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.10 ¥7.43

55.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$0.92 ¥6.24

122.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$0.72 ¥4.86

186.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$0.58 ¥3.89

255.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$0.73 ¥4.91

197.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.57 ¥3.85

145.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.40 ¥2.73

180.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.11 ¥21.03

37.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$9.02 ¥61.0

70.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.01 ¥6.82

65.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.99 ¥13.45

85.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.27 ¥1.82

40.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$16.62 ¥112

14.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.88 ¥5.92

56.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.32 ¥2.18

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$2.74 ¥18.50

97.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.10 ¥7.46

16.36%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$18.3K ¥123.6K

3.85%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$16.2K ¥109.5K

44.93%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$36.30 ¥245

13.00%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$6.00 ¥40.60

348.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$7.03 ¥47.55

322.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$41.52 ¥281

26.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$14.13 ¥95.6

85.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$5.69 ¥38.45

8.61%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$340 ¥2,298

25.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$27.4K ¥185.1K

-60.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$30.05 ¥203

89.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$27.76 ¥188

61.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$58.5 ¥396

78.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$59.4 ¥401

78.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$278 ¥1,883

257.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$185 ¥1,253

235.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$588 ¥3,973

261.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$361 ¥2,443

247.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$2,897 ¥19.6K

34.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,574 ¥10.6K

33.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.74

203.21%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Nanchong: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $278 in Nanchong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in Nanchong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $185 per month, with Nanchong 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 Nanchong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Nanchong differ by about 126% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $641 including rent). Nanchong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $961 in Nanchong 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $278 in Nanchong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nanchong runs roughly 15% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $340 in Nanchong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $641 in Nanchong versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nanchong but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Nanchong 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 Nanchong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.