Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Porto Rafti Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Porto Rafti

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,300 in Porto Rafti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,990 in Porto Rafti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,680 in Porto Rafti.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 12% more expensive than in Porto Rafti, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Porto Rafti is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$11.47 €10.04

13.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$56.9 €49.81

-5.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$8.79 €7.69

10.13%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$3.89 €3.40

-3.86%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$1.61 €1.41

0.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.61 €0.53

90.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$4.56 €3.99

-29.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$4.62 €4.04

2.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.74 €1.52

-5.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$1.19 €1.04

131.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$2.26 €1.98

-17.26%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$4.16 €3.64

-39.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$11.09 €9.71

-8.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$8.70 €7.61

-5.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$14.06 €12.30

-15.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$2.14 €1.88

40.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$2.35 €2.06

-22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$1.66 €1.45

20.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$2.58 €2.26

-22.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$1.27 €1.11

63.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$1.14 €1.00

99.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$0.91 €0.80

60.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$0.56 €0.49

92.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$5.29 €4.63

-17.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$6.38 €5.58

166.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.75 €1.53

-1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$2.38 €2.08

50.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$1.53 €1.34

-74.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$46.21 €40.43

-59.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$3.93 €3.44

-66.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$11.62 €10.16

-54.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$2.10 €1.84

-36.19%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$31.7K €27.7K

-38.76%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$25.5K €22.3K

-6.60%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$157 €137

-74.06%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$22.32 €19.53

20.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$28.75 €25.15

6.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$47.29 €41.38

11.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$26.09 €22.83

2.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$9.27 €8.11

-29.77%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$514 €449

-16.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$6,404 €5,603

63.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$65.3 €57.1

-12.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$28.47 €24.91

59.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$67.8 €59.3

53.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$106 €92.7

1.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$492 €431

103.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$397 €347

56.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$768 €672

174.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$608 €532

100.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$4,825 €4,222

-19.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$2,326 €2,035

-12.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$868 €760

19.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.42

156.56%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Porto Rafti: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $492 in Porto Rafti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 20% 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 $57.0 in Porto Rafti. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $261, with Porto Rafti cheaper for home cooking.

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 Porto Rafti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Porto Rafti differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,300 including rent). Porto Rafti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $492 in Porto Rafti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Porto Rafti runs roughly 147% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $514 in Porto Rafti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,300 in Porto Rafti versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Porto Rafti but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Porto Rafti 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Porto Rafti are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Porto Rafti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.