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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,235 in Puerto Escondido.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,978 in Puerto Escondido.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,720 in Puerto Escondido.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 33% more expensive than in Puerto Escondido, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Puerto Escondido is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$10.98 MX$186

10.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$46.79 MX$791

11.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$9.22 MX$156

18.22%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$3.66 MX$61.8

10.66%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$1.50 MX$25.41

14.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$1.11 MX$18.78

24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$3.30 MX$55.9

5.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$4.38 MX$74.1

32.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$1.95 MX$32.99

-5.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$3.20 MX$54.1

0.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$1.76 MX$29.74

18.75%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$2.93 MX$49.48

-0.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$8.92 MX$151

40.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$11.80 MX$199

-14.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$12.31 MX$208

29.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$2.98 MX$50.4

11.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$1.73 MX$29.31

23.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$2.11 MX$35.59

3.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$1.95 MX$32.89

25.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$1.78 MX$30.02

23.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$2.17 MX$36.73

-12.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.63 MX$27.62

-0.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$1.22 MX$20.57

10.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$4.67 MX$79.0

16.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$11.40 MX$193

54.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$2.60 MX$43.98

-20.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$3.35 MX$56.6

41.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$0.89 MX$15.08

-61.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$2.53 MX$42.84

-19.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$1.86 MX$31.49

-68.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$12.38 MX$209

-51.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.44 MX$24.31

12.50%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$19.4K MX$328.2K

17.47%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$27.2K MX$460.5K

-2.13%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$53.9 MX$910

21.15%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$23.81 MX$403

25.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$40.05 MX$677

-8.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$29.09 MX$492

109.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$21.99 MX$372

21.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$5.80 MX$98.0

18.10%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$246 MX$4,150

84.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$5,011 MX$84.7K

166.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$63.7 MX$1,077

17.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$48.01 MX$811

15.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$112 MX$1,897

1.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$79.3 MX$1,340

54.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$660 MX$11.2K

71.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$419 MX$7,079

70.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$998 MX$16.9K

157.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$817 MX$13.8K

60.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$1,820 MX$30.8K

119.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,248 MX$21.1K

67.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$356 MX$6,021

193.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Puerto Escondido: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $660 in Puerto Escondido. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 194% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $47.00 in Puerto Escondido for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $310 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 33% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,235 including rent). Puerto Escondido is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 194% 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $660 in Puerto Escondido. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $246 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 $47.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,235 in Puerto Escondido versus $1,646 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 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.