Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Nanning

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanning: $737 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Nanning
Learn more

Nanning Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Nanning

🇨🇳 China

$737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Nanning

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Nanning actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $737 in Nanning.

Mexico City $1,608
Nanning $737

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,176 in Nanning.

Mexico City $2,549
Nanning $1,176

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,615 in Nanning.

Mexico City $3,490
Nanning $1,615

Living in Mexico City is roughly 118% more expensive than in Nanning, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Nanning is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$2.97 ¥19.73

257.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$908

$20.42 ¥136

136.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$5.76 ¥38.31

79.69%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.3

$2.33 ¥15.51

58.37%

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

$1.67 MX$31.29

$0.56 ¥3.70

198.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.76

$0.27 ¥1.78

370.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.9

$0.88 ¥5.84

262.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.6

$2.30 ¥15.29

130.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.38

$2.24 ¥14.91

-23.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$2.23 ¥14.86

36.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.44

$1.13 ¥7.54

71.68%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.2

$1.93 ¥12.85

49.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$10.30 ¥68.5

6.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$3.93 ¥26.14

135.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$17.63 ¥117

-14.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.2

$1.89 ¥12.57

61.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.45

$1.31 ¥8.73

48.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.02

$1.52 ¥10.11

33.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.46

$1.68 ¥11.17

37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.21

$0.97 ¥6.45

110.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.79

$1.21 ¥8.05

48.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.77

$0.57 ¥3.80

159.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.80

$0.63 ¥4.22

101.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.6

$4.07 ¥27.10

30.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

$14.93 ¥99.3

7.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.23

$0.93 ¥6.22

112.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.8

$1.65 ¥10.96

157.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.50 ¥3.30

-38.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$15.90 ¥106

24.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.50

$1.37 ¥9.13

34.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.02

$0.46 ¥3.09

15.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$7.48 ¥49.76

-29.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.36

$1.30 ¥8.62

16.15%

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

$21.8K MX$408.4K

$23.2K ¥154.6K

-6.38%

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

$24.0K MX$450.3K

$13.2K ¥88.2K

81.05%

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

$63.0 MX$1,182

$33.66 ¥224

87.11%

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

$27.39 MX$514

$14.52 ¥96.6

88.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$10.84 ¥72.2

229.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,107

$76.0 ¥506

-22.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$7.43 ¥49.41

218.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$6.93 ¥46.14

-7.65%

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

$432 MX$8,103

$304 ¥2,020

42.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.5K

$4,423 ¥29.4K

158.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,281

$19.68 ¥131

246.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$997

$29.48 ¥196

80.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,023

$65.5 ¥436

64.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,202

$72.4 ¥481

62.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$251 ¥1,669

343.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$156 ¥1,036

356.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$388 ¥2,580

567.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$294 ¥1,959

377.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$3,516 ¥23.4K

3.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$1,577 ¥10.5K

35.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$667 ¥4,438

41.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

3.63

212.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nanning: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Nanning

$156 21.1% 78.1% $555

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Nanning

$245 33.3% 23.2% $74

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Nanning

$81 11% 59.1% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Nanning

$84 11.4% 46% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Nanning

$59 8% 53.2% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Nanning

$90 12.2% 25.2% $18

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Nanning

$22 2.9% 15.2% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $251 in Nanning. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 42% 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: $48 in Mexico City vs $20 in Nanning for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $245 per month, with Nanning cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇳 Nanning

🕒 Local time

13:39 1:39 PM

03:39 3:39 AM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

8,741,584

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Nanning 14,450 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Nanning

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $737 in Nanning, so Nanning is about 54% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 42% 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $251 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 19% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $304 in Nanning. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $737 in Nanning versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 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 54% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.