Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Pétion-Ville Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Pétion-Ville

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $2,158 in Pétion-Ville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $3,551 in Pétion-Ville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $4,943 in Pétion-Ville.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 24% less than in Pétion-Ville, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 20% above, Pétion-Ville 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$14.26 HTG 1,859

-15.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$92.0 HTG 12.0K

-43.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$11.60 HTG 1,512

-6.03%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$3.77 HTG 492

7.43%

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

$1.72 MX$28.99

$3.14 HTG 409

-45.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.28

$1.48 HTG 194

-6.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$7.70 HTG 1,004

-54.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$9.21 HTG 1,200

-36.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.32

$2.14 HTG 279

-13.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$2.58 HTG 336

24.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.24

$2.97 HTG 387

-29.63%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.16

$3.57 HTG 465

-18.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$6.74 HTG 879

85.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$6.03 HTG 787

67.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$9.24 HTG 1,205

71.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$3.72 HTG 484

-11.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.94

$0.94 HTG 123

126.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.02

$0.75 HTG 97.2

192.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.36

$2.33 HTG 304

5.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.99

$7.47 HTG 974

-70.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.19

$2.26 HTG 295

-15.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.30

$1.13 HTG 147

43.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.81

$0.97 HTG 126

39.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$4.55 HTG 593

19.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$11.27 HTG 1,469

56.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.95

$1.48 HTG 193

39.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$2.27 HTG 295

109.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.74

$0.39 HTG 51.5

-12.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$38.36 HTG 5,002

-43.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.48

$0.37 HTG 48.22

451.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$0.36 HTG 47.08

61.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$13.80 HTG 1,799

-56.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.30

$1.46 HTG 190

10.96%

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

$34.7K HTG 4.5M

-34.28%

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

$26.7K MX$450.6K

$24.5K HTG 3.2M

8.99%

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

$65.2 MX$1,102

$169 HTG 22.0K

-61.41%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$46.11 HTG 6,012

-35.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$230 HTG 30.0K

-84.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$15.21 HTG 1,983

75.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

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

$453 MX$7,662

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$92.5 HTG 12.1K

-18.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$934

$76.0 HTG 9,905

-27.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$156 HTG 20.3K

-26.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$191 HTG 24.9K

-35.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$1,167 HTG 152.2K

-2.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$911 HTG 118.7K

-21.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.4K

$3,255 HTG 424.4K

-21.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$2,271 HTG 296.1K

-42.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$2,508 HTG 327.0K

59.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,840 HTG 239.9K

13.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$757 HTG 98.6K

38.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-37.22%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Pétion-Ville: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $1,167 in Pétion-Ville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $92.0 in Pétion-Ville. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $268, with Pétion-Ville cheaper for home cooking.

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 Pétion-Ville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Pétion-Ville differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $2,158 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $1,167 in Pétion-Ville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $92.0 in Pétion-Ville. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 78% less than in Pétion-Ville. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $2,158 in Pétion-Ville, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Pétion-Ville. 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 31% less than in Pétion-Ville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.