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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $608 in Nantong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,012 in Nantong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,416 in Nantong.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 139% more expensive than in Nantong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Nantong is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$2.71 ¥18.34

382.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$22.07 ¥149

143.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.40 ¥29.73

120.00%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.65 ¥17.88

41.13%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.44 ¥3.01

268.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.26 ¥1.76

346.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$0.72 ¥4.89

348.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.07 ¥13.97

128.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.51 ¥10.22

9.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.42 ¥9.59

93.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$0.64 ¥4.34

192.19%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.49 ¥10.04

67.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$6.23 ¥42.07

63.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$2.70 ¥18.24

205.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$9.17 ¥62.0

28.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.15 ¥14.53

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.44 ¥9.72

25.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.63 ¥11.00

22.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.15 ¥7.77

73.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.58 ¥3.95

258.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.92 ¥6.20

146.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.73 ¥4.96

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.47 ¥3.19

129.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.20 ¥21.59

35.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$9.09 ¥61.4

86.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$0.94 ¥6.38

84.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.54 ¥10.41

132.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.20 ¥1.35

95.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$21.24 ¥144

-12.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.49 ¥10.08

-10.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.26 ¥1.74

7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$8.60 ¥58.1

-38.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.14 ¥7.73

17.54%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$17.3K ¥116.8K

12.25%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$14.7K ¥99.2K

62.35%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$39.71 ¥268

2.47%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$8.19 ¥55.3

228.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$11.16 ¥75.4

173.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$41.54 ¥281

27.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$11.17 ¥75.5

138.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$5.59 ¥37.79

16.46%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$187 ¥1,264

128.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$11.2K ¥75.6K

-6.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$43.55 ¥294

31.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$33.41 ¥226

36.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$60.6 ¥409

71.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$83.7 ¥566

28.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$208 ¥1,404

383.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$137 ¥926

354.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$753 ¥5,087

180.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$326 ¥2,200

274.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$3,680 ¥24.9K

5.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$2,410 ¥16.3K

-15.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,322 ¥8,936

-21.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.87

193.02%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Nantong: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $208 in Nantong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nantong pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $22.00 in Nantong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $167 per month, with Nantong 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 Nantong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Nantong differ by about 139% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $608 including rent). Nantong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Nantong. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $208 in Nantong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nantong runs roughly 14% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $187 in Nantong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $608 in Nantong versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nantong but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Nantong 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 Nantong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 139% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.