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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,268 in Narita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,951 in Narita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,635 in Narita.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 16% more expensive than in Narita, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Narita is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$5.65 ¥891

132.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$41.07 ¥6,471

30.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$4.95 ¥781

88.48%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$3.19 ¥503

15.99%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.80 ¥127

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.76 ¥120

47.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.14 ¥337

46.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$3.05 ¥480

59.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.23 ¥194

34.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.88 ¥139

207.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$5.04 ¥794

-62.10%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.29 ¥360

13.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$10.27 ¥1,618

-4.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$6.19 ¥975

36.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$15.22 ¥2,399

-21.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$6.05 ¥953

-51.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$3.13 ¥493

-44.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$3.91 ¥616

-47.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$6.13 ¥965

-66.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$3.34 ¥526

-35.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$4.19 ¥661

-46.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.37 ¥217

1.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.88 ¥139

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$3.23 ¥509

30.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$9.02 ¥1,421

94.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.84 ¥290

-7.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.11 ¥332

72.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.66 ¥262

-78.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$55.6 ¥8,762

-65.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$3.45 ¥544

-60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$1.61 ¥254

-82.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$22.48 ¥3,542

-76.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.12 ¥176

21.43%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$20.6K ¥3.2M

-7.16%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$18.4K ¥2.9M

28.63%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$144 ¥22.8K

-71.95%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$27.91 ¥4,397

-1.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$31.60 ¥4,980

-3.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$55.6 ¥8,764

-6.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$14.09 ¥2,220

87.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$12.42 ¥1,956

-50.16%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$287 ¥45.2K

48.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$14.0K ¥2.2M

-23.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$42.25 ¥6,658

38.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$29.56 ¥4,658

50.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$61.2 ¥9,639

69.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$112 ¥17.6K

-2.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$503 ¥79.3K

101.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$351 ¥55.4K

77.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$875 ¥137.8K

142.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$672 ¥105.9K

82.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$4,599 ¥724.6K

-17.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$2,326 ¥366.5K

-9.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$1,218 ¥191.9K

-13.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

2.05

453.17%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Narita: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $503 in Narita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Narita pays 16% 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 $41.00 in Narita. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $319, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 Narita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Narita differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,268 including rent). Narita is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Narita. 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $503 in Narita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Narita runs roughly 188% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $287 in Narita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,268 in Narita versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Narita but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Narita 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Narita are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Narita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.