Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Puerto Escondido Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Puerto Escondido

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,101 in Puerto Escondido.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,749 in Puerto Escondido.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,398 in Puerto Escondido.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 32% more expensive than in Puerto Escondido, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Puerto Escondido is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$9.71 MX$169

34.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$38.35 MX$668

40.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$7.89 MX$137

22.69%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.37 MX$58.7

10.98%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.29 MX$22.48

25.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.95 MX$16.60

22.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.66 MX$46.40

21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.98 MX$69.4

19.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.52 MX$26.42

8.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$2.68 MX$46.71

2.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.08 MX$18.75

73.15%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.94 MX$33.86

28.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$7.91 MX$138

28.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$8.09 MX$141

1.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$11.76 MX$205

0.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.71 MX$47.21

11.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.05 MX$18.21

72.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.70 MX$29.58

17.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.76 MX$30.67

13.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$2.15 MX$37.45

-3.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$2.63 MX$45.71

-13.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.18 MX$20.52

23.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.98 MX$17.08

10.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.80 MX$83.6

-9.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$10.58 MX$184

60.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$2.30 MX$40.04

-24.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.75 MX$47.81

30.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.74 MX$12.84

-47.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$2.65 MX$46.08

-49.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.59 MX$27.70

-82.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$8.14 MX$142

-35.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.27 MX$22.15

5.51%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$20.8K MX$362.2K

-6.69%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$22.5K MX$391.9K

5.90%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$56.7 MX$987

-28.22%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$21.99 MX$383

22.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$54.9 MX$956

-44.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$21.46 MX$374

145.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$10.60 MX$185

151.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$4.73 MX$82.4

37.63%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$161 MX$2,800

166.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$3,615 MX$63.0K

190.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$52.7 MX$917

8.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$39.43 MX$687

15.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$88.1 MX$1,535

18.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$80.4 MX$1,401

34.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$394 MX$6,853

154.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$391 MX$6,816

59.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$941 MX$16.4K

124.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$767 MX$13.4K

58.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,005 MX$34.9K

93.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,222 MX$21.3K

66.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$343 MX$5,972

202.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.5

-1.39%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Puerto Escondido: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $394 in Puerto Escondido. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 203% 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 $38.00 in Puerto Escondido for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $255 per month, with Puerto Escondido 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 Puerto Escondido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Puerto Escondido differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,101 including rent). Puerto Escondido is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 203% 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 $394 in Puerto Escondido. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $161 in Puerto Escondido. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Escondido – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,101 in Puerto Escondido versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Escondido but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Escondido 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 Puerto Escondido 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 Puerto Escondido gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.