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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $880 in Pachuca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,451 in Pachuca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,021 in Pachuca.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 66% more expensive than in Pachuca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Pachuca is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$4.78 MX$83.8

173.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$24.88 MX$436

116.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$7.99 MX$140

21.15%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$2.99 MX$52.5

25.08%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$1.08 MX$18.93

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.80 MX$13.98

45.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$1.63 MX$28.53

98.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$3.14 MX$55.1

50.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.43 MX$25.08

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$2.81 MX$49.23

-2.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.85 MX$32.36

1.08%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$2.52 MX$44.21

-0.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.27 MX$128

40.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$4.48 MX$78.5

84.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$7.44 MX$130

58.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$1.95 MX$34.28

54.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.31 MX$22.92

38.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$1.41 MX$24.72

41.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$1.62 MX$28.46

23.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$1.46 MX$25.68

42.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$1.26 MX$22.03

80.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$0.86 MX$15.01

69.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$0.95 MX$16.71

13.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$4.16 MX$73.0

4.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$8.78 MX$154

93.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.30 MX$22.85

33.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$2.44 MX$42.82

46.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.58 MX$10.20

-32.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$26.71 MX$469

-30.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$2.44 MX$42.86

-45.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$1.24 MX$21.80

-77.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$8.03 MX$141

-34.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.30 MX$22.78

3.08%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$18.1K MX$318.2K

7.01%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$21.2K MX$371.3K

12.59%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$51.5 MX$902

-20.91%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$17.12 MX$300

56.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$23.16 MX$406

31.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$22.61 MX$397

133.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$10.51 MX$184

153.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$4.60 MX$80.7

41.52%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$156 MX$2,742

173.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$3,064 MX$53.8K

242.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$52.6 MX$923

8.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$39.77 MX$698

14.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$92.9 MX$1,629

12.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$75.1 MX$1,317

43.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$391 MX$6,863

156.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$256 MX$4,496

142.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$737 MX$12.9K

186.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$664 MX$11.6K

83.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$758 MX$13.3K

412.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$674 MX$11.8K

201.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$671 MX$11.8K

54.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.75

5.49%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Pachuca: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $391 in Pachuca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 55% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $25.00 in Pachuca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $208 per month, with Pachuca 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 Pachuca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Pachuca differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $880 including rent). Pachuca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 55% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $391 in Pachuca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pachuca runs roughly 43% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $156 in Pachuca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $880 in Pachuca versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pachuca but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Pachuca 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 Pachuca 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 Pachuca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.