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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,353 in Otsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,946 in Otsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,539 in Otsu.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 24% more expensive than in Otsu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Otsu is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$8.97 ¥1,378

35.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$32.16 ¥4,939

67.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$5.06 ¥777

119.17%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$3.18 ¥489

28.93%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.27 ¥194

32.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.85 ¥131

63.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$3.18 ¥488

4.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$4.61 ¥707

27.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.55 ¥237

19.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.58 ¥242

100.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$4.55 ¥699

-54.51%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.29 ¥351

27.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$16.29 ¥2,501

-22.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$6.63 ¥1,018

52.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$17.39 ¥2,670

-7.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$5.07 ¥778

-33.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$2.64 ¥405

-21.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$5.07 ¥779

-58.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$4.42 ¥678

-45.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$2.23 ¥342

-4.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.91 ¥293

5.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.17 ¥180

32.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.90 ¥139

51.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$4.00 ¥613

44.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$9.71 ¥1,491

82.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$2.13 ¥327

-2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.22 ¥341

107.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$1.52 ¥233

-75.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$60.8 ¥9,332

-65.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$3.26 ¥501

-37.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$2.97 ¥456

-80.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$28.77 ¥4,418

-78.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.13 ¥174

37.17%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$22.5K ¥3.5M

1.47%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$15.4K ¥2.4M

76.80%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$120 ¥18.4K

-43.75%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$24.17 ¥3,712

26.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$32.09 ¥4,927

16.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$53.1 ¥8,159

15.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$9.90 ¥1,519

173.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$12.86 ¥1,974

-44.71%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$585 ¥89.9K

-22.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$13.0K ¥2.0M

5.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$56.8 ¥8,724

30.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$36.65 ¥5,628

55.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$69.7 ¥10.7K

65.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$102 ¥15.7K

18.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$454 ¥69.8K

152.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$375 ¥57.6K

89.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$658 ¥101.0K

291.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$480 ¥73.7K

169.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$4,448 ¥683.0K

-9.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$2,019 ¥310.0K

5.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$1,871 ¥287.3K

-42.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.1

438.10%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Otsu: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $454 in Otsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Otsu pays 73% 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 $32.00 in Otsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $337 per month, with Otsu 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 Otsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Otsu differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,353 including rent). Otsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Otsu. 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $454 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 $456 in Mexico City versus $585 in Otsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,353 in Otsu versus $1,677 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 24% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.