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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $732 in Nantong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,211 in Nantong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,689 in Nantong.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 127% more expensive than in Nantong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Nantong is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$2.92 ¥19.58

308.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$23.95 ¥160

115.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$4.40 ¥29.50

159.32%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$2.75 ¥18.40

45.09%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.63 ¥4.24

163.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.31 ¥2.05

329.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$0.71 ¥4.73

388.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.27 ¥15.17

159.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.63 ¥10.90

15.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.50 ¥10.07

116.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$0.82 ¥5.48

163.41%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.68 ¥11.28

72.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$6.88 ¥46.08

86.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$3.69 ¥24.73

172.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$10.25 ¥68.7

54.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.29 ¥15.31

43.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.29 ¥8.65

55.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.56 ¥10.43

41.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$1.47 ¥9.86

60.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$0.72 ¥4.83

184.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$0.91 ¥6.08

108.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.67 ¥4.47

140.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.50 ¥3.34

180.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$3.25 ¥21.80

68.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$8.81 ¥59.0

100.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$0.75 ¥5.02

174.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$1.72 ¥11.53

172.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.21 ¥1.40

61.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$15.06 ¥101

38.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$1.99 ¥13.30

5.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.38 ¥2.56

47.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$6.82 ¥45.70

-14.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.16 ¥7.77

38.79%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$19.4K ¥129.8K

17.83%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$18.7K ¥125.6K

42.69%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$47.53 ¥318

37.13%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$7.43 ¥49.73

304.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$14.94 ¥100

148.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$114 ¥765

-47.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$11.94 ¥80.0

122.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$7.52 ¥50.4

-6.38%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$202 ¥1,356

129.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$12.0K ¥80.1K

11.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$59.8 ¥401

26.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$41.50 ¥278

34.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$65.8 ¥440

70.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$110 ¥738

9.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$210 ¥1,405

425.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$142 ¥950

408.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$710 ¥4,753

256.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$343 ¥2,297

277.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$3,721 ¥24.9K

7.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$2,204 ¥14.8K

-5.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$1,303 ¥8,728

-20.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.5

222.86%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Nantong: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $210 in Nantong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nantong pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $24.00 in Nantong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $181 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 127% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $732 including rent). Nantong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 26% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $210 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 38% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $202 in Nantong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $732 in Nantong versus $1,660 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 127% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.