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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $656 in Polomolok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,043 in Polomolok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,431 in Polomolok.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 124% more expensive than Polomolok, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Polomolok is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$1.78 ₱110

640.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$13.54 ₱835

298.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$2.26 ₱140

316.81%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.05 ₱127

73.17%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.46 ₱28.30

252.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.49 ₱30.10

126.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.13 ₱69.4

176.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.62 ₱100.0

185.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.74 ₱107

-2.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.98 ₱60.6

177.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$0.74 ₱45.67

158.11%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.06 ₱127

23.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$5.89 ₱363

70.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.00 ₱185

169.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.06 ₱374

91.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.90 ₱179

2.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$0.60 ₱36.95

201.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.29 ₱141

-12.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$0.86 ₱53.3

136.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.36 ₱83.9

55.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$3.17 ₱195

-28.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.92 ₱56.9

52.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.60 ₱36.89

88.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.60 ₱160

64.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$7.42 ₱458

109.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.05 ₱65.0

67.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.55 ₱95.5

132.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.26 ₱16.01

46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$14.20 ₱876

35.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.90 ₱55.5

53.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.25 ₱15.48

12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.14 ₱132

154.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.02 ₱63.1

27.45%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$17.4K ₱1.1M

7.15%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

20.90%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$57.9 ₱3,571

-29.44%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$12.51 ₱772

114.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$29.48 ₱1,818

1.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$33.43 ₱2,061

55.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$4.52 ₱279

493.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.39 ₱271

43.51%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$117 ₱7,214

272.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$1,479 ₱91.2K

604.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$46.28 ₱2,854

22.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$27.00 ₱1,665

64.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$70.5 ₱4,350

45.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$69.7 ₱4,298

51.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$268 ₱16.5K

281.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$176 ₱10.9K

258.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$593 ₱36.6K

260.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$390 ₱24.0K

218.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,419 ₱149.1K

61.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$971 ₱59.9K

112.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$241 ₱14.9K

362.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

89.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Polomolok: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $268 in Polomolok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 362% 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 $14.00 in Polomolok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $165 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 124% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $656 including rent). Polomolok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 362% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $268 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 35% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $117 in Polomolok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $656 in Polomolok versus $1,467 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 124% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.