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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $954 in Neum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,494 in Neum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,035 in Neum.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 54% more expensive than Neum, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Neum is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.66 BAM 14.60

52.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$41.82 BAM 70.5

28.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.63 BAM 12.85

23.46%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$1.65 BAM 2.77

115.15%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.94 BAM 3.27

-16.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$1.21 BAM 2.04

-8.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.09 BAM 3.52

49.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.81 BAM 4.73

64.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.32 BAM 2.22

28.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.23 BAM 2.08

121.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.58 BAM 2.65

20.89%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$3.01 BAM 5.06

-15.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$9.60 BAM 16.17

4.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$8.75 BAM 14.75

-7.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$11.61 BAM 19.55

0.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.41 BAM 2.37

110.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.64 BAM 2.76

10.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.94 BAM 3.27

3.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$2.04 BAM 3.44

-0.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.15 BAM 1.94

84.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.11 BAM 1.87

104.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.21 BAM 2.04

15.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.73 BAM 1.23

54.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.63 BAM 6.12

17.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$4.06 BAM 6.83

283.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$0.76 BAM 1.29

131.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.13 BAM 1.91

218.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.85 BAM 3.12

-79.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$34.69 BAM 58.5

-44.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.50 BAM 2.53

-8.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$1.10 BAM 1.85

-74.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$7.28 BAM 12.26

-25.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.54 BAM 2.60

-15.58%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$29.1K BAM 49.0K

-35.73%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$26.4K BAM 44.4K

-12.28%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$174 BAM 293

-76.49%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$18.87 BAM 31.79

42.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$24.01 BAM 40.44

24.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$28.99 BAM 48.84

79.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$10.97 BAM 18.49

144.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.81 BAM 8.10

30.98%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$203 BAM 343

114.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$3,618 BAM 6,096

187.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$69.6 BAM 117

-18.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$35.84 BAM 60.4

23.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$89.3 BAM 150

15.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$111 BAM 186

-4.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$261 BAM 439

291.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$169 BAM 285

273.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$363 BAM 612

488.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$315 BAM 530

294.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$2,608 BAM 4,394

49.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,838 BAM 3,096

12.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$882 BAM 1,486

26.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

2.9

291.03%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Neum: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $261 in Neum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 26% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $42.00 in Neum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $220 per month, with Neum 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 Neum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Neum differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $954 including rent). Neum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 26% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $261 in Neum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Neum runs roughly 81% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $203 in Neum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $954 in Neum versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Neum but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Neum 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 Neum 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 Neum 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.