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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,119 in Puerto Escondido.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,772 in Puerto Escondido.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,424 in Puerto Escondido.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 31% more expensive than Puerto Escondido, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Puerto Escondido is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$9.27 MX$161

42.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$39.44 MX$683

36.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.76 MX$134

21.39%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.31 MX$57.4

7.25%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.29 MX$22.29

25.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.97 MX$16.85

14.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.59 MX$44.87

20.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.99 MX$69.1

16.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.46 MX$25.30

16.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$2.68 MX$46.41

1.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.08 MX$18.78

76.85%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.92 MX$33.35

32.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$8.11 MX$140

23.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.92 MX$137

2.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$11.77 MX$204

-1.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.69 MX$46.67

10.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.05 MX$18.11

72.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.78 MX$30.91

12.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.70 MX$29.45

19.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$2.15 MX$37.32

-1.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$2.60 MX$45.03

-12.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.16 MX$20.15

20.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.99 MX$17.14

14.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$5.03 MX$87.2

-15.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$10.80 MX$187

44.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.23 MX$38.64

-21.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.85 MX$49.44

26.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.69 MX$12.03

-44.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$2.54 MX$44.01

-45.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$1.55 MX$26.78

-81.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$8.26 MX$143

-34.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.32 MX$22.85

-1.52%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$21.3K MX$369.7K

-12.40%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$22.4K MX$388.6K

3.13%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$56.0 MX$971

-27.06%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$22.46 MX$389

19.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$55.5 MX$961

-46.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$21.09 MX$365

146.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$10.77 MX$187

149.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.58 MX$79.3

37.55%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$160 MX$2,780

171.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$3,654 MX$63.3K

185.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$52.1 MX$902

8.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$40.38 MX$700

9.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$91.3 MX$1,583

12.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$79.6 MX$1,379

32.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$395 MX$6,854

158.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$390 MX$6,754

61.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$920 MX$15.9K

132.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$754 MX$13.1K

64.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$2,100 MX$36.4K

85.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,165 MX$20.2K

77.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$340 MX$5,886

228.30%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Puerto Escondido: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $395 in Puerto Escondido. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 228% 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 $39.00 in Puerto Escondido for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 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 31% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,119 including rent). Puerto Escondido is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 228% 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 $395 in Puerto Escondido. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $160 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 $39.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,119 in Puerto Escondido versus $1,467 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 31% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.