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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,074 in Puerto Montt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,632 in Puerto Montt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,190 in Puerto Montt.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 37% more expensive than in Puerto Montt, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Puerto Montt is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$8.59 CLP 7,996

52.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$37.14 CLP 34.6K

44.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$7.58 CLP 7,056

23.09%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.89 CLP 2,694

28.03%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.98 CLP 915

63.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.98 CLP 914

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$3.22 CLP 2,993

-2.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$4.24 CLP 3,943

14.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.22 CLP 1,139

35.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.50 CLP 1,398

80.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.86 CLP 1,730

2.69%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$3.43 CLP 3,192

-24.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$11.63 CLP 10.8K

-15.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$6.53 CLP 6,073

29.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$10.91 CLP 10.1K

9.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.83 CLP 1,706

61.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.44 CLP 1,340

20.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.59 CLP 1,482

28.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.91 CLP 1,780

7.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.23 CLP 1,147

74.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.35 CLP 1,252

67.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.32 CLP 1,231

5.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.52 CLP 1,410

-26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$4.98 CLP 4,633

-15.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$5.78 CLP 5,379

202.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.48 CLP 1,381

15.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.24 CLP 2,083

62.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.61 CLP 569

-42.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.47 CLP 435

193.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.37 CLP 1,274

-0.73%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$19.8K CLP 18.4M

-3.35%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$21.6K CLP 20.1M

9.27%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$130 CLP 120.8K

-68.78%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$11.91 CLP 11.1K

129.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$21.93 CLP 20.4K

38.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$39.08 CLP 36.4K

33.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$21.29 CLP 19.8K

24.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$5.54 CLP 5,151

11.73%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$439 CLP 408.0K

-3.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$50.6 CLP 47.1K

15.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$30.76 CLP 28.6K

44.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$62.9 CLP 58.5K

64.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$80.9 CLP 75.3K

34.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$487 CLP 453.6K

107.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$380 CLP 353.7K

63.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$878 CLP 816.9K

141.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$591 CLP 549.5K

107.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Puerto Montt: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $487 in Puerto Montt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $37.00 in Puerto Montt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $236 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 37% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,074 including rent). Puerto Montt is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,611 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $487 in Puerto Montt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $439 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 $37.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,074 in Puerto Montt versus $1,472 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 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.