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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $633 in Pec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,038 in Pec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,443 in Pec.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 135% more expensive than Pec, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Pec is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$5.81 €4.98

123.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$23.30 €19.94

127.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$4.67 €4.00

108.14%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.43 €1.23

162.24%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.29 €1.11

21.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$1.03 €0.88

9.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.02 €1.73

57.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.55 €2.18

82.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.33 €1.14

21.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.59 €0.51

359.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.37 €1.17

37.23%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.59 €1.36

57.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$6.30 €5.39

60.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.95 €4.23

67.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$10.30 €8.81

15.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.22 €1.04

134.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.44 €1.23

21.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.09 €0.93

90.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.23 €1.05

60.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.80 €0.68

170.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$0.82 €0.70

165.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.68 €0.58

104.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.52 €0.44

115.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$3.51 €3.00

19.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$5.92 €5.07

140.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$0.86 €0.73

104.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.44 €1.23

155.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$2.36 €2.02

-41.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.54 €0.47

-44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$5.62 €4.81

-3.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.46 €1.25

-7.53%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$22.7K €19.5K

-16.90%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$25.2K €21.6K

-8.23%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$85.2 €72.9

-52.06%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$10.75 €9.20

155.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$19.63 €16.81

54.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$22.97 €19.66

132.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$35.05 €30.01

-24.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$4.49 €3.85

39.64%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$159 €136

174.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$2,915 €2,495

259.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$39.31 €33.65

44.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$29.06 €24.88

54.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$56.4 €48.30

82.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$85.4 €73.1

26.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$177 €151

465.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$117 €99.9

431.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$348 €298

514.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$286 €245

332.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,328 €1,137

191.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$996 €852

134.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$498 €426

114.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

183.50%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Pec: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $177 in Pec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 114% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $23.00 in Pec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $163 per month, with Pec 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 Pec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Pec differ by about 135% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $633 including rent). Pec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 114% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $177 in Pec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $159 in Pec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pec – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $633 in Pec versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pec but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Pec 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 Pec 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 Pec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.