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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $1,053 in Okayama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $1,682 in Okayama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $2,310 in Okayama.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 37% more expensive than Okayama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Okayama is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$6.91 ¥1,109

87.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$27.83 ¥4,464

88.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$6.24 ¥1,001

55.29%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$1.89 ¥303

98.41%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$0.78 ¥126

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$0.74 ¥119

56.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

$2.02 ¥325

60.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

$2.11 ¥338

132.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$1.51 ¥241

12.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$0.68 ¥109

292.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$4.99 ¥801

-62.12%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$1.62 ¥260

55.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$16.75 ¥2,687

-40.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$6.81 ¥1,093

25.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$15.59 ¥2,501

-23.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$5.67 ¥910

-47.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$2.79 ¥448

-35.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$4.76 ¥764

-57.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$4.76 ¥763

-58.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$2.47 ¥397

-12.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$2.03 ¥325

11.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$1.31 ¥211

6.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$0.77 ¥124

44.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$3.39 ¥544

23.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

$9.18 ¥1,472

80.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

$2.10 ¥338

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

$2.12 ¥341

69.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

$1.60 ¥257

-75.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

$55.5 ¥8,904

-65.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$3.49 ¥560

-60.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$2.70 ¥433

-88.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$23.36 ¥3,748

-76.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$1.14 ¥182

13.16%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

-19.89%

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$16.7K ¥2.7M

42.40%

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

$39.86 MX$686

$78.4 ¥12.6K

-49.16%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$15.33 ¥2,459

81.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$27.86 ¥4,469

6.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

$55.6 ¥8,912

-6.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

$13.73 ¥2,202

90.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$12.31 ¥1,975

-49.07%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$468 ¥75.0K

-7.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$11.4K ¥1.8M

-7.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$46.81 ¥7,509

21.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$32.66 ¥5,238

38.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$57.0 ¥9,150

78.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$91.5 ¥14.7K

18.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

$368 ¥59.0K

170.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

$204 ¥32.8K

201.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

$715 ¥114.8K

191.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

$465 ¥74.6K

169.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

$1,374 ¥220.4K

-17.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

1.78

537.08%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Last update for Okayama: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $368 in Okayama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Okayama pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $28.00 in Okayama. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $326, 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 Okayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Okayama differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $1,053 including rent). Okayama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Okayama earns 21% 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: $994 in Mexico City versus $368 in Okayama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Okayama runs roughly 189% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $433 in Mexico City versus $468 in Okayama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,053 in Okayama versus $1,448 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Okayama but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Okayama 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 Okayama 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 Okayama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.