Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Qapshaghay Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Qapshaghay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $865 in Qapshaghay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,292 in Qapshaghay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,718 in Qapshaghay.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 70% more expensive than Qapshaghay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Qapshaghay is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$230

$7.97 ₸3,871

65.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$941

$19.91 ₸9,671

170.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$165

$5.79 ₸2,812

62.69%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$62.0

$1.57 ₸765

126.11%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$0.89 ₸433

82.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.46

$0.54 ₸262

105.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.5

$0.94 ₸456

231.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.8

$1.20 ₸583

285.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.71

$1.32 ₸640

28.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.47

$0.56 ₸271

385.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.39

$1.49 ₸726

28.19%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.28

$1.73 ₸842

46.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$175

$9.34 ₸4,536

7.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$141

$4.53 ₸2,202

78.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$203

$7.70 ₸3,742

50.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.8

$1.40 ₸678

112.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.97 ₸958

-8.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.15

$1.96 ₸951

2.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.53

$2.06 ₸1,001

-1.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$37.10

$0.59 ₸285

259.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.63

$0.40 ₸194

467.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.45

$1.25 ₸609

12.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.74

$0.73 ₸356

54.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$1.48 ₸720

188.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$272

$10.41 ₸5,055

49.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$0.90 ₸438

95.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.8

$2.14 ₸1,041

68.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.69

$0.17 ₸80.9

123.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$335

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.02

$0.70 ₸341

97.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$0.63 ₸304

-55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$95.1

$4.58 ₸2,225

19.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.77

$0.51 ₸249

154.90%

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

$18.7K MX$326.3K

$23.2K ₸11.3M

-19.56%

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

$23.1K MX$403.9K

$27.1K ₸13.1M

-14.49%

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

$40.86 MX$714

$63.6 ₸30.9K

-35.72%

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

$26.81 MX$468

$8.60 ₸4,178

211.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$523

$13.69 ₸6,648

118.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$908

$32.65 ₸15.9K

59.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$469

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$110

$5.34 ₸2,594

17.98%

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

$436 MX$7,616

$261 ₸126.6K

67.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$181.9K

$4,803 ₸2.3M

116.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$989

$55.6 ₸27.0K

1.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$775

$44.32 ₸21.5K

0.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,797

$96.8 ₸47.0K

6.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,843

$122 ₸59.4K

-13.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.8K

$392 ₸190.3K

160.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$11.0K

$271 ₸131.7K

132.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.3K

$642 ₸312.1K

232.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.7K

$440 ₸214.0K

182.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.2K

$933 ₸453.4K

318.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$36.0K

$850 ₸412.8K

142.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

18.39

-38.34%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Qapshaghay: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $392 in Qapshaghay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $20.00 in Qapshaghay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $188 per month, with Qapshaghay 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 Qapshaghay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Qapshaghay differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $865 including rent). Qapshaghay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,298 in Qapshaghay 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $392 in Qapshaghay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $261 in Qapshaghay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Qapshaghay – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $865 in Qapshaghay versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Qapshaghay but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Qapshaghay 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 Qapshaghay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.