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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,216 in Otsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,935 in Otsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,655 in Otsu.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 21% more expensive than Otsu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Otsu is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.09 ¥1,293

62.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$34.07 ¥5,450

58.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.64 ¥903

67.02%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.09 ¥495

14.89%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.92 ¥147

76.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.72 ¥115

54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$3.52 ¥563

-11.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.19 ¥510

45.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.69 ¥270

0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.72 ¥274

58.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$3.09 ¥495

-38.19%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.35 ¥376

8.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$9.61 ¥1,537

4.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.75 ¥1,239

4.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$15.18 ¥2,428

-23.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$5.40 ¥865

-45.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$2.60 ¥416

-30.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$4.96 ¥793

-59.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$3.95 ¥632

-48.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.66 ¥265

27.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$2.36 ¥378

-3.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.23 ¥197

13.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$1.01 ¥161

11.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.04 ¥646

5.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$7.31 ¥1,169

112.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.80 ¥288

-2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.39 ¥382

50.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.61 ¥258

-76.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$55.1 ¥8,818

-65.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$3.49 ¥557

-60.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$2.89 ¥462

-90.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$17.62 ¥2,819

-69.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.22 ¥196

6.56%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

-17.97%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$17.1K ¥2.7M

35.62%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$113 ¥18.1K

-63.83%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$26.63 ¥4,260

0.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$33.27 ¥5,322

-9.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$56.5 ¥9,036

-7.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$14.04 ¥2,246

91.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$12.45 ¥1,992

-49.40%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$374 ¥59.9K

16.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$7,274 ¥1.2M

43.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$46.68 ¥7,466

21.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$31.44 ¥5,028

41.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$55.4 ¥8,859

85.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$92.4 ¥14.8K

14.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$467 ¥74.7K

118.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$325 ¥52.1K

93.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$877 ¥140.3K

143.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$651 ¥104.2K

90.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$4,879 ¥780.4K

-20.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$2,196 ¥351.2K

-5.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Otsu: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $467 in Otsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Otsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $306, 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 Otsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Otsu differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,216 including rent). Otsu 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 $1,823 in Otsu 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 $467 in Otsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Otsu runs roughly 187% 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 $374 in Otsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,216 in Otsu versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Otsu but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Otsu 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 Otsu 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 Otsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.