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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,237 in Narita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,921 in Narita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,604 in Narita.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 17% more expensive than Narita, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$5.43 ¥869

139.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$41.86 ¥6,694

25.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$4.89 ¥783

92.84%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$3.10 ¥495

15.16%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.81 ¥129

98.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.76 ¥122

51.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.04 ¥326

54.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$3.07 ¥491

58.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.24 ¥198

37.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.93 ¥149

183.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$4.94 ¥791

-61.54%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.18 ¥349

16.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$10.24 ¥1,637

-1.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$6.20 ¥992

33.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$15.20 ¥2,431

-23.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$5.98 ¥956

-49.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$3.21 ¥514

-46.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$4.00 ¥640

-48.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$6.01 ¥961

-65.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$3.35 ¥536

-38.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$4.29 ¥687

-49.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.33 ¥212

5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.83 ¥132

34.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.30 ¥527

30.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$9.34 ¥1,494

64.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.76 ¥281

-5.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.02 ¥323

82.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.62 ¥258

-76.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$56.1 ¥8,966

-66.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$3.38 ¥541

-59.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$1.61 ¥258

-82.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$21.98 ¥3,516

-75.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.11 ¥178

15.32%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$20.5K ¥3.3M

-7.44%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$18.5K ¥3.0M

26.92%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$145 ¥23.2K

-71.72%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$27.90 ¥4,462

-3.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$31.00 ¥4,958

-4.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$56.8 ¥9,082

-7.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$13.80 ¥2,207

90.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$12.59 ¥2,014

-50.91%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$286 ¥45.8K

49.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$13.6K ¥2.2M

-21.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$41.20 ¥6,590

37.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$29.35 ¥4,695

52.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$59.0 ¥9,431

77.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$113 ¥18.1K

-6.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$502 ¥80.3K

98.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$341 ¥54.5K

82.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$880 ¥140.7K

141.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$670 ¥107.1K

87.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$4,028 ¥644.2K

-3.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$2,454 ¥392.4K

-14.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$1,264 ¥202.2K

-12.43%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Narita: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $502 in Narita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Narita pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $42.00 in Narita. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $318, 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 17% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,237 including rent). Narita is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Narita earns 14% less. 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $502 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 194% 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 $286 in Narita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,237 in Narita versus $1,447 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 17% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.