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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $693 in Nanning.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,089 in Nanning.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,484 in Nanning.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 109% more expensive than Nanning, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Nanning is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$2.73 ¥18.49

375.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$19.02 ¥129

176.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$5.30 ¥35.84

77.92%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.20 ¥14.89

62.27%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.56 ¥3.76

187.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.27 ¥1.84

325.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$0.82 ¥5.54

284.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.33 ¥15.73

108.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.70 ¥11.53

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.10 ¥7.43

140.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.03 ¥6.99

84.47%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$1.55 ¥10.48

63.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$9.18 ¥62.1

9.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$3.38 ¥22.88

145.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$14.80 ¥100

-21.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.95 ¥13.15

55.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.06 ¥7.20

61.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.20 ¥8.12

70.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.62 ¥10.96

27.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$0.86 ¥5.82

139.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.14 ¥7.69

90.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.46 ¥3.12

204.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.51 ¥3.43

119.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.56 ¥24.04

20.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$14.57 ¥98.5

5.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$0.86 ¥5.81

94.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.80 ¥12.16

105.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.50 ¥3.41

-24.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$14.72 ¥99.5

29.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.27 ¥8.57

8.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.36 ¥2.46

-22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$7.47 ¥50.5

-27.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.14 ¥7.70

12.28%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$21.4K ¥144.7K

-11.33%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$12.7K ¥85.7K

85.13%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$39.71 ¥269

3.30%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$13.27 ¥89.7

102.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$10.77 ¥72.8

175.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$68.8 ¥465

-23.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$6.77 ¥45.75

287.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$5.66 ¥38.25

9.19%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$299 ¥2,019

43.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$14.0K ¥94.5K

-23.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$18.85 ¥127

201.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$27.69 ¥187

61.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$63.8 ¥431

63.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$102 ¥688

4.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$236 ¥1,597

321.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$146 ¥990

324.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$350 ¥2,366

507.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$272 ¥1,840

360.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$3,469 ¥23.5K

12.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,453 ¥9,822

44.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$678 ¥4,583

63.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.18

171.29%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Nanning: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $236 in Nanning. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 63% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Nanning for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $206 per month, with Nanning 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 Nanning: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Nanning differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $693 including rent). Nanning is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 63% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $236 in Nanning. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nanning runs roughly 29% 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 $299 in Nanning. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $693 in Nanning versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nanning but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Nanning 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 Nanning gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.