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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $634 in Pec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,019 in Pec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,404 in Pec.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 132% more expensive than in Pec, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Pec is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$5.86 €5.08

124.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$22.73 €19.69

135.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$4.53 €3.92

105.96%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.36 €1.18

172.06%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.32 €1.14

21.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.98 €0.85

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.07 €1.79

51.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.52 €2.19

92.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.32 €1.15

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.58 €0.51

367.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.38 €1.19

38.41%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.52 €1.32

70.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$5.97 €5.17

64.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$5.04 €4.37

67.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$10.24 €8.87

16.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.19 €1.03

147.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.37 €1.19

27.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.09 €0.94

87.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.18 €1.02

74.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.79 €0.69

172.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.77 €0.67

193.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.69 €0.60

101.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.52 €0.45

115.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$3.55 €3.07

18.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$5.78 €5.01

202.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$0.86 €0.74

98.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.43 €1.24

153.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$2.24 €1.94

-38.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.51 €0.44

-45.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$5.77 €5.00

-8.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.44 €1.25

-5.56%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$22.7K €19.7K

-15.86%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$24.7K €21.4K

-4.44%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$86.1 €74.6

-52.94%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$10.82 €9.37

153.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$19.54 €16.92

55.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$22.96 €19.89

127.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$34.50 €29.88

-23.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$4.58 €3.97

35.15%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$156 €135

173.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$2,844 €2,462

277.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$39.05 €33.81

49.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$28.57 €24.74

56.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$55.4 €47.94

86.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$85.6 €74.2

27.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$172 €149

488.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$114 €99.0

445.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$345 €299

514.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$287 €249

326.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$1,288 €1,116

194.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$960 €831

119.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$478 €414

120.15%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Pec: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $172 in Pec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 120% 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 $23.00 in Pec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $161 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 132% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $634 including rent). Pec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 120% 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 $172 in Pec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $156 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 $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $634 in Pec versus $1,472 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 132% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.