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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $876 in Pachuca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,437 in Pachuca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,997 in Pachuca.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 68% more expensive than Pachuca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Pachuca is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.79 MX$82.9

175.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$24.63 MX$426

118.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.75 MX$134

21.55%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.85 MX$49.31

24.56%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.14 MX$19.76

42.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.76 MX$13.19

46.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.55 MX$26.82

101.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.24 MX$56.0

42.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.43 MX$24.75

18.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$2.88 MX$49.84

-5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.83 MX$31.58

4.37%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.51 MX$43.49

1.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.25 MX$125

38.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.44 MX$76.7

82.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.42 MX$128

56.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.93 MX$33.39

53.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.26 MX$21.73

43.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.46 MX$25.31

37.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.62 MX$28.09

25.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.46 MX$25.32

45.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.25 MX$21.70

81.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.89 MX$15.43

57.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.98 MX$16.98

15.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.24 MX$73.4

0.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$8.60 MX$149

80.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.29 MX$22.35

36.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.51 MX$43.38

43.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.58 MX$10.05

-34.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$26.08 MX$451

-26.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$2.55 MX$44.10

-45.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.24 MX$21.45

-77.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$7.92 MX$137

-31.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.32 MX$22.77

-1.52%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$18.5K MX$319.8K

1.06%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$21.1K MX$365.1K

9.58%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$52.2 MX$902

-21.66%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$17.38 MX$301

54.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$22.62 MX$391

32.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$23.36 MX$404

122.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$10.41 MX$180

157.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.60 MX$79.5

36.96%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$161 MX$2,790

170.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$3,066 MX$53.0K

239.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$53.2 MX$920

6.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$40.42 MX$699

9.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$94.4 MX$1,633

9.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$75.1 MX$1,299

40.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$385 MX$6,651

165.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$266 MX$4,599

137.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$726 MX$12.6K

194.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$668 MX$11.5K

86.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$770 MX$13.3K

406.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$676 MX$11.7K

205.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$695 MX$12.0K

60.54%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Pachuca: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $385 in Pachuca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 61% 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 $288 vs $209 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 68% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $876 including rent). Pachuca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 61% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $385 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 36% 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 $161 in Pachuca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $876 in Pachuca versus $1,467 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 68% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.