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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $683 in Pisco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,046 in Pisco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,409 in Pisco.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 143% more expensive than in Pisco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Pisco is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$4.40 PEN 14.85

170.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$35.60 PEN 120

44.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$6.93 PEN 23.38

64.65%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$3.42 PEN 11.53

16.67%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$1.13 PEN 3.82

46.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$0.62 PEN 2.10

114.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$2.60 PEN 8.78

33.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$4.40 PEN 14.86

34.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.63 PEN 5.49

15.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$2.33 PEN 7.87

39.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.24 PEN 4.18

74.19%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$1.32 PEN 4.45

119.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$6.52 PEN 22.01

97.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.80 PEN 16.18

109.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$6.56 PEN 22.15

141.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$1.35 PEN 4.56

143.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.02 PEN 3.43

97.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.46 PEN 4.93

50.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$0.58 PEN 1.96

306.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$0.43 PEN 1.46

376.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$0.89 PEN 2.99

113.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$0.86 PEN 2.89

87.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.93 PEN 3.15

50.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$6.02 PEN 20.30

-9.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$8.94 PEN 30.18

97.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$1.96 PEN 6.62

5.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$2.47 PEN 8.34

89.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$0.86 PEN 2.91

-60.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$36.37 PEN 123

-42.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$3.99 PEN 13.47

-47.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$2.12 PEN 7.16

-73.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$7.23 PEN 24.41

-19.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.72 PEN 5.81

-6.40%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$21.8K PEN 73.4K

4.93%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$26.7K PEN 90.2K

0.01%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$43.76 PEN 148

48.95%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$17.39 PEN 58.7

73.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$11.74 PEN 39.62

216.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$21.17 PEN 71.4

182.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$8.70 PEN 29.34

205.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$7.55 PEN 25.47

-6.75%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$183 PEN 619

153.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$13.2K PEN 44.4K

0.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$53.4 PEN 180

42.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$13.38 PEN 45.14

318.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$48.28 PEN 163

131.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$35.84 PEN 121

236.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$162 PEN 548

578.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$136 PEN 460

428.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$146 PEN 493

784.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$1,846 PEN 6,227

116.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,358 PEN 4,582

53.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$587 PEN 1,980

76.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

8.94

26.40%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Pisco: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $162 in Pisco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 77% 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 $36.00 in Pisco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $185 per month, with Pisco 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 Pisco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Pisco differ by about 143% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $683 including rent). Pisco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 77% 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 $162 in Pisco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pisco runs roughly 75% 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 $183 in Pisco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $683 in Pisco versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pisco but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Pisco 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 Pisco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 143% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.