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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,220 in Pétion-Ville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $3,705 in Pétion-Ville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $5,189 in Pétion-Ville.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 34% less than in Pétion-Ville, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, Pétion-Ville 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$14.38 HTG 1,872

-9.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$92.9 HTG 12.1K

-42.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$11.40 HTG 1,484

-15.09%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$3.80 HTG 494

-1.58%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$3.01 HTG 392

-46.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$1.50 HTG 195

-22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$7.78 HTG 1,014

-58.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$9.17 HTG 1,194

-48.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$2.20 HTG 286

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$2.65 HTG 345

3.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$3.04 HTG 396

-38.49%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$3.78 HTG 492

-33.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.08 HTG 922

44.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$6.00 HTG 781

37.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$9.02 HTG 1,174

31.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$3.73 HTG 486

-19.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$0.89 HTG 115

103.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$0.75 HTG 98.0

166.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$2.24 HTG 292

-10.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$7.22 HTG 940

-71.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$2.27 HTG 295

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$1.11 HTG 145

31.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$1.01 HTG 131

6.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$4.68 HTG 610

-7.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$11.43 HTG 1,488

48.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.54 HTG 201

12.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$2.16 HTG 281

65.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.37 HTG 47.94

5.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$37.61 HTG 4,897

-50.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$0.39 HTG 50.8

241.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$13.97 HTG 1,819

-62.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.41 HTG 184

-4.96%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$34.9K HTG 4.5M

-44.31%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$25.2K HTG 3.3M

-5.33%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$169 HTG 22.1K

-75.99%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$45.64 HTG 5,942

-41.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$232 HTG 30.3K

-86.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$60.8 HTG 7,915

-13.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$15.59 HTG 2,030

70.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$5.08 HTG 661

28.15%

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

$428 MX$7,508

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$90.6 HTG 11.8K

-36.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$76.0 HTG 9,897

-40.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$153 HTG 19.9K

-31.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$189 HTG 24.6K

-42.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$1,136 HTG 148.0K

-11.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$938 HTG 122.1K

-33.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$3,251 HTG 423.3K

-35.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$2,335 HTG 304.0K

-47.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$2,526 HTG 328.9K

53.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$1,837 HTG 239.2K

10.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$773 HTG 100.6K

34.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-37.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Pétion-Ville: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $1,136 in Pétion-Ville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 34% 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 $93.0 in Pétion-Ville. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $270, 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 52% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $2,220 including rent). Mexico City 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $1,136 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 $54.0 versus $93.0 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 101% less than in Pétion-Ville. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,220 in Pétion-Ville, a $2,000 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 52% less than in Pétion-Ville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.