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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,100 in Pascani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,667 in Pascani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,235 in Pascani.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 51% more expensive than in Pascani, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Pascani is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$8.91 RON 40.84

33.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$44.89 RON 206

14.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$7.68 RON 35.16

48.57%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$2.24 RON 10.25

78.12%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$1.73 RON 7.94

-4.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$1.09 RON 5.01

22.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$2.25 RON 10.33

54.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.62 RON 12.01

125.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.31 RON 6.00

43.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$1.10 RON 5.02

195.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.81 RON 8.30

19.34%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$3.61 RON 16.52

-19.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$9.45 RON 43.29

36.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$7.35 RON 33.67

36.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$13.27 RON 60.8

19.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$1.55 RON 7.12

112.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.63 RON 7.47

23.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.67 RON 7.63

31.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$2.79 RON 12.78

-15.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$0.85 RON 3.91

141.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$0.94 RON 4.32

102.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$0.94 RON 4.31

71.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.81 RON 3.73

72.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$6.41 RON 29.35

-14.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$7.82 RON 35.83

125.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$1.32 RON 6.04

56.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$1.91 RON 8.73

145.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$0.74 RON 3.39

-54.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$22.96 RON 105

-9.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$0.67 RON 3.09

213.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$0.70 RON 3.22

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$6.93 RON 31.74

-16.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.53 RON 7.00

5.23%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$29.4K RON 134.5K

-22.21%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$27.8K RON 127.5K

-3.87%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$190 RON 870

-65.69%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$6.76 RON 30.96

345.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$9.66 RON 44.23

284.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$39.35 RON 180

51.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$21.28 RON 97.5

24.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$10.05 RON 46.04

-29.95%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$457 RON 2,094

1.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$7,133 RON 32.7K

86.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$53.7 RON 246

41.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$37.16 RON 170

50.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$77.8 RON 356

43.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$93.0 RON 426

29.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$408 RON 1,871

169.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$304 RON 1,393

137.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$639 RON 2,929

295.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$472 RON 2,164

173.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$1,901 RON 8,710

109.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,412 RON 6,469

47.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$775 RON 3,551

33.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

7.2

56.94%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Pascani: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $408 in Pascani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 34% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $45.00 in Pascani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $233 per month, with Pascani 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 Pascani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Pascani differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,100 including rent). Pascani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $408 in Pascani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pascani runs roughly 10% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $457 in Pascani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,100 in Pascani versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pascani but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Pascani 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 Pascani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.