Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Oaxaca de Juarez Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Oaxaca de Juarez

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,060 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,628 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,196 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 38% more expensive than Oaxaca de Juarez, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Oaxaca de Juarez is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$5.72 MX$98.9

130.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$26.95 MX$466

100.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.75 MX$134

21.55%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.56 MX$44.36

38.67%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.19 MX$20.57

36.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.70 MX$12.09

58.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.28 MX$39.35

36.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.46 MX$59.9

33.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.28 MX$22.16

32.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$2.65 MX$45.77

2.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.08 MX$18.60

76.85%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.59 MX$27.44

59.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$6.16 MX$107

62.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.67 MX$80.7

73.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$11.17 MX$193

4.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.13 MX$36.92

39.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.18 MX$20.40

53.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.72 MX$29.77

16.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$0.55 MX$9.50

269.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$2.17 MX$37.62

-2.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.89 MX$32.71

20.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.04 MX$17.97

34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.78 MX$13.43

44.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.04 MX$69.8

5.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$9.97 MX$172

56.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.29 MX$22.39

36.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.80 MX$48.39

28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.54 MX$9.35

-29.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$2.56 MX$44.31

-46.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$2.48 MX$42.94

-88.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$10.75 MX$186

-49.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.29 MX$22.33

0.78%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$22.6K MX$390.5K

-17.22%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$24.0K MX$415.2K

-3.63%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$67.1 MX$1,161

-39.14%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$10.67 MX$185

151.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$24.09 MX$417

24.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$31.95 MX$553

62.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$15.89 MX$275

68.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.37 MX$92.8

17.32%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$369 MX$6,377

18.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$3,543 MX$61.3K

194.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$38.20 MX$661

48.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$58.7 MX$1,016

-24.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$67.1 MX$1,160

53.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$99.0 MX$1,713

6.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$595 MX$10.3K

71.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$418 MX$7,223

51.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,050 MX$18.2K

103.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$846 MX$14.6K

46.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.25

0.80%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Oaxaca de Juarez: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $595 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $208 per month, with Oaxaca de Juarez 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 Oaxaca de Juarez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Oaxaca de Juarez differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,060 including rent). Oaxaca de Juarez is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,590 in Oaxaca de Juarez to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $595 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $369 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Oaxaca de Juarez – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,060 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Oaxaca de Juarez but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Oaxaca de Juarez 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 Oaxaca de Juarez 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 Oaxaca de Juarez gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.