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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,047 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,641 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,236 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 39% more expensive than in Oaxaca de Juarez, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Oaxaca de Juarez is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$5.67 MX$99.5

130.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$26.18 MX$459

105.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$7.91 MX$139

22.38%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$2.66 MX$46.73

40.60%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$1.20 MX$20.97

35.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.68 MX$11.92

70.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$2.31 MX$40.53

39.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$3.53 MX$62.0

34.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.28 MX$22.50

28.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$2.61 MX$45.73

5.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.07 MX$18.79

74.77%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$1.60 MX$28.09

56.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$6.38 MX$112

59.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$4.64 MX$81.4

77.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$10.82 MX$190

9.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$2.11 MX$36.97

42.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.18 MX$20.71

53.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$1.70 MX$29.83

17.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$0.52 MX$9.10

284.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$2.09 MX$36.72

-0.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$1.83 MX$32.16

24.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$1.03 MX$18.10

41.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$0.77 MX$13.51

40.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$4.11 MX$72.1

5.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$9.89 MX$174

71.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.36 MX$23.88

27.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$2.72 MX$47.65

31.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.50 MX$8.84

-22.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$2.57 MX$45.07

-48.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$2.40 MX$42.09

-88.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$10.76 MX$189

-51.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.22 MX$21.46

9.84%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$22.2K MX$390.1K

-12.73%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$24.1K MX$422.4K

-1.04%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$66.3 MX$1,163

-38.65%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$10.52 MX$184

155.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$23.78 MX$417

28.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$31.58 MX$554

67.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$15.69 MX$275

69.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$5.19 MX$91.1

25.43%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$369 MX$6,476

15.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$3,653 MX$64.1K

187.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$38.19 MX$670

49.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$60.4 MX$1,060

-24.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$67.3 MX$1,181

54.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$99.3 MX$1,742

8.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$585 MX$10.3K

71.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$421 MX$7,393

47.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$1,045 MX$18.3K

101.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$856 MX$15.0K

42.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Oaxaca de Juarez: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $585 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $26.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $207 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 39% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,047 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 $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,571 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $585 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 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 $26.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,047 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,456 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 39% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.