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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $523 in Pisco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $819 in Pisco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,114 in Pisco.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 182% more expensive than in Pisco, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Pisco is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$2.25 PEN 7.63

484.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$11.30 PEN 38.36

373.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$3.31 PEN 11.25

181.87%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.41 PEN 4.79

162.41%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.71 PEN 2.42

125.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.27 PEN 0.91

314.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.90 PEN 6.44

65.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$3.93 PEN 13.35

23.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.41 PEN 4.80

17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$2.74 PEN 9.30

-1.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.35 PEN 4.57

41.48%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.97 PEN 10.07

-12.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$8.12 PEN 27.58

20.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$5.75 PEN 19.52

46.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$10.75 PEN 36.51

10.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.06 PEN 6.98

43.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.12 PEN 3.80

55.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.10 PEN 3.73

85.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.20 PEN 4.09

71.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.04 PEN 3.53

106.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.94 PEN 3.19

140.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.82 PEN 2.79

69.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.94 PEN 3.19

19.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$5.54 PEN 18.80

-23.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$9.04 PEN 30.69

93.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.75 PEN 5.94

-2.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$3.03 PEN 10.30

19.80%

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

$3.25 PEN 11.04

-57.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$2.16 PEN 7.32

-87.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$8.22 PEN 27.91

-35.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.31 PEN 4.44

3.82%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$19.5K PEN 66.1K

-1.85%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$24.9K PEN 84.6K

-5.29%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$56.9 PEN 193

-28.72%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$12.44 PEN 42.25

120.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$23.93 PEN 81.3

26.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.89 PEN 23.40

-10.16%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$218 PEN 738

95.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$7,940 PEN 27.0K

35.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$49.82 PEN 169

17.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$35.63 PEN 121

25.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$90.3 PEN 307

14.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$90.3 PEN 306

20.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$1,810 PEN 6,145

109.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,363 PEN 4,628

54.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$580 PEN 1,970

81.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.11

12.17%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Pisco: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Mexico City pays 81% 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 $11.00 in Pisco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $224 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 182% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $523 including rent). Pisco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 81% 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.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $218 in Pisco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pisco – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $523 in Pisco versus $1,472 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 182% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.