Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Palma Soriano Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Palma Soriano

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,568 in Palma Soriano.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,880 in Palma Soriano.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,193 in Palma Soriano.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 6% less than in Palma Soriano, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Palma Soriano 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$5.01 CUP 120

163.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$25.43 CUP 610

111.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.93 CUP 118

91.08%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$3.15 CUP 75.5

12.70%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.26 CUP 30.28

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.92 CUP 22.04

20.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$3.04 CUP 72.9

2.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.42 CUP 58.1

91.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$2.05 CUP 49.13

-17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.42 CUP 34.16

91.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.02 CUP 24.41

87.25%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.21 CUP 29.12

109.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$6.16 CUP 148

62.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.12 CUP 147

32.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.82 CUP 260

7.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.90 CUP 45.58

56.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.22 CUP 29.37

48.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.46 CUP 35.01

37.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.46 CUP 34.97

39.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.99 CUP 23.75

114.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$0.98 CUP 23.53

131.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.02 CUP 24.41

37.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.12 CUP 26.96

0.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.06 CUP 73.4

39.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$9.89 CUP 237

57.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$2.98 CUP 71.6

-40.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.04 CUP 48.99

76.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.26 CUP 6.28

46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$29.80 CUP 715

-35.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.82 CUP 43.75

-24.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.36 CUP 8.69

-22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$12.72 CUP 305

-57.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.12 CUP 26.84

16.07%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$65.4K CUP 1.6M

-71.43%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$46.2K CUP 1.1M

-49.91%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$54.2 CUP 1,300

-24.54%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$10.05 CUP 241

166.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$146 CUP 3,499

-79.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$40.49 CUP 972

28.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$9.92 CUP 238

170.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$0.98 CUP 23.45

542.86%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$99.9 CUP 2,397

336.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$12.2K CUP 292.5K

-14.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$64.0 CUP 1,536

-11.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$34.89 CUP 837

27.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$86.6 CUP 2,079

18.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$111 CUP 2,674

-5.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$880 CUP 21.1K

16.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$798 CUP 19.2K

-20.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$743 CUP 17.8K

187.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$654 CUP 15.7K

90.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$314 CUP 7,545

1141.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$330 CUP 7,920

525.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$39.79 CUP 955

2702.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

8.33

36.13%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Palma Soriano: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $880 in Palma Soriano. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 2702% 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 $25.00 in Palma Soriano for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $216 per month, with Palma Soriano 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 Palma Soriano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Palma Soriano differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,568 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 2702% 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 $880 in Palma Soriano. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 55% less than in Palma Soriano. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $99.9 in Palma Soriano. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,568 in Palma Soriano, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Palma Soriano. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Palma Soriano. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.