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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $619 in Piura.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,023 in Piura.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,427 in Piura.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 138% more expensive than in Piura, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Piura is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$2.81 PEN 9.54

367.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$10.89 PEN 36.98

391.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$5.61 PEN 19.03

66.31%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$3.28 PEN 11.14

12.80%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.71 PEN 5.82

-6.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.53 PEN 1.80

111.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.29 PEN 7.76

37.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.73 PEN 9.28

77.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.13 PEN 3.83

46.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$3.01 PEN 10.22

-9.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.36 PEN 4.63

40.44%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.04 PEN 6.93

26.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$8.18 PEN 27.77

19.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$7.19 PEN 24.42

17.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$9.26 PEN 31.44

28.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.30 PEN 4.40

126.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$0.85 PEN 2.88

104.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$0.79 PEN 2.70

158.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.09 PEN 3.71

88.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.23 PEN 4.16

74.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.55 PEN 1.86

310.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.53 PEN 1.81

162.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.80 PEN 2.70

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$8.28 PEN 28.13

-49.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$11.24 PEN 38.17

55.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.83 PEN 6.20

-6.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.76 PEN 9.38

31.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.43 PEN 1.47

-18.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.72 PEN 5.83

-19.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$1.60 PEN 5.42

-82.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$5.62 PEN 19.08

-6.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.39 PEN 4.72

-2.16%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

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

$40.53 MX$701

$38.69 PEN 131

4.76%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$8.21 PEN 27.88

233.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$28.18 PEN 95.7

85.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$2.26 PEN 7.66

173.89%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$189 PEN 642

124.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$2,217 PEN 7,525

384.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$40.92 PEN 139

42.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$12.39 PEN 42.06

259.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$56.4 PEN 191

83.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$70.5 PEN 239

54.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$140 PEN 476

623.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$127 PEN 432

389.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$331 PEN 1,125

539.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$385 PEN 1,306

217.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$3,745 PEN 12.7K

1.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$540 PEN 1,834

94.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Piura: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $140 in Piura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 95% 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 Piura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $217 per month, with Piura 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 Piura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Piura differ by about 138% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $619 including rent). Piura is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 95% 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 $140 in Piura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $189 in Piura. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Piura – 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 $619 in Piura versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Piura but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Piura 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 Piura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 138% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.