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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,103 in Puerto Montt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,660 in Puerto Montt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,217 in Puerto Montt.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 34% more expensive than Puerto Montt, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Puerto Montt is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$8.45 CLP 7,515

53.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$38.39 CLP 34.1K

38.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$7.69 CLP 6,838

26.40%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.94 CLP 2,611

27.55%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.94 CLP 833

67.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$1.00 CLP 886

13.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$3.28 CLP 2,914

-3.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$4.13 CLP 3,677

12.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.16 CLP 1,035

39.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.50 CLP 1,334

80.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.92 CLP 1,710

-2.08%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$3.25 CLP 2,893

-22.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$11.95 CLP 10.6K

-15.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.48 CLP 5,760

27.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$10.85 CLP 9,646

10.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.89 CLP 1,677

51.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.49 CLP 1,328

17.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.60 CLP 1,421

30.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.91 CLP 1,699

3.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.28 CLP 1,141

68.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.40 CLP 1,245

55.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.38 CLP 1,230

0.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.52 CLP 1,348

-26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$4.86 CLP 4,324

-13.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$6.32 CLP 5,618

125.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.47 CLP 1,310

19.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.22 CLP 1,974

65.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.62 CLP 554

-37.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.51 CLP 455

172.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.43 CLP 1,270

-5.59%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$19.2K CLP 17.1M

-1.73%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$21.2K CLP 18.8M

9.36%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$133 CLP 118.2K

-69.29%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$11.62 CLP 10.3K

136.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$22.25 CLP 19.8K

36.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$38.09 CLP 33.9K

40.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$21.45 CLP 19.1K

22.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$5.62 CLP 4,994

11.57%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$433 CLP 385.2K

0.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$51.5 CLP 45.8K

10.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$30.65 CLP 27.3K

46.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$62.2 CLP 55.3K

65.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$81.2 CLP 72.2K

32.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$472 CLP 419.6K

111.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$374 CLP 332.8K

65.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$886 CLP 787.4K

141.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$595 CLP 528.8K

107.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.18

118.92%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Puerto Montt: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $472 in Puerto Montt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in Puerto Montt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $237 per month, with Puerto Montt 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 Montt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Puerto Montt differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,103 including rent). Puerto Montt is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,655 in Puerto Montt to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $472 in Puerto Montt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $433 in Puerto Montt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Montt – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,103 in Puerto Montt versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Puerto Montt but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Montt 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 Puerto Montt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.