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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $630 in Polomolok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $989 in Polomolok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,348 in Polomolok.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 166% more expensive than in Polomolok, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Polomolok is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$205

$1.63 ₱102

644.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$911

$16.66 ₱1,039

223.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$187

$2.12 ₱133

423.11%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.3

$2.17 ₱135

88.94%

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

$1.68 MX$28.44

$0.39 ₱24.05

330.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.47

$0.69 ₱42.86

101.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.3

$1.07 ₱66.7

211.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.4

$1.90 ₱118

209.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.30

$1.64 ₱102

12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.6

$0.92 ₱57.2

244.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.01

$0.67 ₱41.60

208.96%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.51

$1.96 ₱123

49.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$213

$6.84 ₱426

84.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$2.64 ₱165

282.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$272

$5.67 ₱353

183.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.3

$2.60 ₱162

30.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.14

$0.59 ₱36.62

252.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.85

$2.25 ₱140

-5.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.82

$0.77 ₱48.03

212.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.00

$1.21 ₱75.8

76.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$33.90

$2.85 ₱178

-29.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.13

$0.77 ₱47.79

101.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.08

$0.67 ₱41.65

102.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.5

$2.43 ₱151

137.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$300

$7.17 ₱447

147.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.00

$1.02 ₱63.5

102.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.0

$1.56 ₱97.3

195.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.19

$0.25 ₱15.52

48.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$358

$11.26 ₱702

88.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.73

$0.82 ₱51.3

150.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.75

$0.25 ₱15.67

132.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$1.90 ₱118

219.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$0.86 ₱53.6

80.23%

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

$22.9K MX$386.8K

$15.8K ₱983.7K

45.01%

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

$27.2K MX$460.5K

$17.7K ₱1.1M

53.47%

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

$67.4 MX$1,140

$52.4 ₱3,267

28.69%

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

$30.62 MX$518

$19.19 ₱1,197

59.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$630

$26.81 ₱1,672

38.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,039

$32.56 ₱2,030

88.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$459

$4.95 ₱309

447.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$120

$3.96 ₱247

79.55%

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

$456 MX$7,714

$108 ₱6,717

323.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$231.5K

$1,362 ₱84.9K

905.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,255

$32.47 ₱2,025

128.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$964

$19.27 ₱1,202

195.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,951

$63.1 ₱3,933

82.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,055

$63.3 ₱3,947

91.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.4K

$273 ₱17.0K

320.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$174 ₱10.9K

306.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.6K

$493 ₱30.7K

422.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$21.9K

$354 ₱22.1K

265.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.7K

$2,590 ₱161.5K

54.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.0K

$1,042 ₱65.0K

104.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.3K

$236 ₱14.7K

359.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

88.33%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Polomolok: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $273 in Polomolok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 359% 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 $17.00 in Polomolok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $159 per month, with Polomolok 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 Polomolok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Polomolok differ by about 166% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $630 including rent). Polomolok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 359% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $273 in Polomolok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Polomolok runs roughly 88% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $108 in Polomolok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $630 in Polomolok versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Polomolok but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Polomolok 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 Polomolok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 166% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.