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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $848 in Qapshaghay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,258 in Qapshaghay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,668 in Qapshaghay.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 72% more expensive than in Qapshaghay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Qapshaghay is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$227

$7.67 ₸3,600

70.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$19.34 ₸9,070

177.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$168

$5.78 ₸2,711

67.47%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.58 ₸743

136.71%

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

$1.62 MX$28.12

$0.87 ₸406

86.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.22

$0.53 ₸249

118.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.02 ₸476

216.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$1.15 ₸538

312.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.67

$1.30 ₸610

26.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.92

$0.60 ₸280

358.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.62

$1.47 ₸690

27.21%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.51

$1.80 ₸844

38.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$9.25 ₸4,339

10.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.73 ₸2,217

74.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$7.47 ₸3,502

58.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.39 ₸651

116.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.53

$1.97 ₸924

-8.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.79

$1.86 ₸874

7.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.72

$2.07 ₸970

-3.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.28

$0.62 ₸290

235.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.54

$0.40 ₸186

467.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.35

$1.31 ₸612

11.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.70 ₸329

54.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$1.42 ₸667

206.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$10.43 ₸4,893

62.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.17

$0.87 ₸410

98.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.05 ₸962

74.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.18 ₸82.7

116.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.07

$0.70 ₸327

90.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.62 ₸293

-54.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.4

$4.79 ₸2,248

9.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.26

$0.52 ₸243

157.69%

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

$19.4K MX$337.8K

$23.2K ₸10.9M

-16.31%

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

$23.8K MX$414.8K

$27.0K ₸12.7M

-11.73%

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

$40.69 MX$708

$62.9 ₸29.5K

-35.34%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$8.90 ₸4,176

201.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$13.46 ₸6,312

126.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$33.15 ₸15.5K

59.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$5.35 ₸2,510

21.68%

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

$428 MX$7,450

$267 ₸125.4K

60.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.7K

$4,939 ₸2.3M

112.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$996

$56.8 ₸26.6K

0.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$44.10 ₸20.7K

3.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,811

$99.2 ₸46.5K

4.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,877

$120 ₸56.2K

-9.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$384 ₸180.0K

161.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$273 ₸128.2K

127.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$625 ₸293.3K

237.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$433 ₸203.2K

181.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,026 ₸481.1K

278.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$771 ₸361.8K

163.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Qapshaghay: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $384 in Qapshaghay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Qapshaghay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 72% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $848 including rent). Qapshaghay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,272 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $384 in Qapshaghay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $267 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 $19.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $848 in Qapshaghay versus $1,456 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 72% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.