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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,147 in Oita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,739 in Oita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,330 in Oita.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 28% more expensive than Oita, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Oita is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$5.43 ¥868

142.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$41.03 ¥6,563

31.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.13 ¥980

53.67%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.07 ¥330

71.50%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.08 ¥173

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.68 ¥108

63.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$3.40 ¥544

-8.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.20 ¥512

44.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.31 ¥210

29.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.34 ¥215

102.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$4.08 ¥653

-53.19%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.51 ¥401

1.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$5.91 ¥945

69.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.11 ¥978

32.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$11.37 ¥1,819

2.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$5.38 ¥860

-44.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$5.00 ¥800

-63.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$5.19 ¥830

-61.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$2.28 ¥365

-10.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.37 ¥219

54.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.42 ¥228

59.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.18 ¥189

18.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.76 ¥121

48.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.96 ¥634

7.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$6.35 ¥1,016

145.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.00 ¥320

-12.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.12 ¥339

69.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.27 ¥204

-70.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$34.59 ¥5,533

-44.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$3.55 ¥568

-61.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$1.96 ¥314

-85.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$19.67 ¥3,147

-72.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.22 ¥195

6.56%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

-20.85%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$14.6K ¥2.3M

58.40%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$83.2 ¥13.3K

-50.87%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$26.80 ¥4,287

0.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$22.56 ¥3,608

32.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$57.7 ¥9,232

-9.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$6.88 ¥1,100

290.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$10.34 ¥1,654

-39.07%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$424 ¥67.9K

2.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

-23.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$39.51 ¥6,320

43.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$28.90 ¥4,622

53.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$67.2 ¥10.7K

53.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$94.0 ¥15.0K

12.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$455 ¥72.8K

124.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$373 ¥59.6K

69.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$765 ¥122.3K

179.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$549 ¥87.8K

126.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$3,984 ¥637.2K

-2.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$2,048 ¥327.6K

0.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,272 ¥203.5K

-12.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

1.5

656.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Oita: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $455 in Oita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oita 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $41.00 in Oita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $272 per month, with Oita 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 Oita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Oita differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,147 including rent). Oita is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Oita 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $455 in Oita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Oita runs roughly 80% 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 $424 in Oita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,147 in Oita versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Oita but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Oita 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 Oita 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 Oita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.