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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $399 in Pakpattan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $590 in Pakpattan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $781 in Pakpattan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 269% more expensive than in Pakpattan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Pakpattan is 70% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$2.14 PKR 595

514.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$8.83 PKR 2,449

506.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$5.35 PKR 1,486

74.39%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 PKR 506

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 PKR 908

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.39 PKR 386

166.19%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.30 PKR 83.4

433.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.22 PKR 60.1

409.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$0.58 PKR 161

184.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.60 PKR 165

351.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.03 PKR 286

85.44%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.07 PKR 298

142.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$4.90 PKR 1,360

100.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$2.49 PKR 692

238.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$3.01 PKR 836

296.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$0.99 PKR 275

197.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$0.73 PKR 204

138.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$0.53 PKR 148

284.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$0.48 PKR 134

329.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.37 PKR 104

481.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.42 PKR 117

438.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.55 PKR 154

152.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.39 PKR 107

187.18%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.87 PKR 519

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 PKR 446

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 PKR 517

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$1.91 PKR 530

120.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.17 PKR 47.85

105.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$7.03 PKR 1,952

174.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.08 PKR 300

27.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.50 PKR 139

-44.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$1.37 PKR 380

285.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$0.99 PKR 273

37.37%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$22.5K PKR 6.3M

-15.21%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$21.7K PKR 6.0M

8.67%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$102 PKR 28.3K

-60.21%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$4.93 PKR 1,368

455.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$13.93 PKR 3,866

118.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$12.21 PKR 3,388

327.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$5.99 PKR 1,662

342.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$2.66 PKR 739

132.71%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$36.72 PKR 10.2K

1057.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$1,756 PKR 487.2K

511.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$16.82 PKR 4,668

246.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$27.76 PKR 7,704

60.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$69.7 PKR 19.3K

48.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$29.00 PKR 8,049

274.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$76.2 PKR 21.1K

1231.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$51.6 PKR 14.3K

1108.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$166 PKR 46.2K

1173.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$106 PKR 29.3K

1058.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$977 PKR 271.2K

288.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$510 PKR 141.5K

313.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$107 PKR 29.6K

886.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

17.43

-34.94%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Pakpattan: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $76.2 in Pakpattan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 887% 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 $9.00 in Pakpattan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $79.0 per month, with Pakpattan 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 Pakpattan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Pakpattan differ by about 269% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $399 including rent). Pakpattan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 887% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $76.2 in Pakpattan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pakpattan runs roughly 175% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $36.72 in Pakpattan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $399 in Pakpattan versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pakpattan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Pakpattan 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.

Expats usually find Pakpattan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 269% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.