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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,088 in Qapshaghay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,652 in Qapshaghay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,215 in Qapshaghay.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 52% more expensive than in Qapshaghay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Qapshaghay is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$11.03 ₸4,915

8.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$22.06 ₸9,831

133.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$6.58 ₸2,931

73.40%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$1.81 ₸805

120.44%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.00 ₸444

66.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.65 ₸291

104.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$1.31 ₸583

164.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$1.36 ₸605

333.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.69 ₸755

11.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$0.44 ₸195

638.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$2.13 ₸950

1.41%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.49 ₸1,109

16.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$12.29 ₸5,476

4.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.86 ₸3,056

46.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$10.99 ₸4,897

44.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$1.89 ₸841

74.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$2.39 ₸1,065

-15.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$3.05 ₸1,359

-27.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$2.80 ₸1,250

-15.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$0.75 ₸334

173.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$0.55 ₸247

245.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.71 ₸761

-5.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$1.00 ₸448

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$1.60 ₸714

241.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$11.07 ₸4,934

59.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.19 ₸532

73.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$2.37 ₸1,057

97.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$0.18 ₸80.1

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$16.06 ₸7,158

29.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$0.88 ₸393

138.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$0.70 ₸310

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$4.10 ₸1,827

41.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$0.57 ₸253

182.46%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$22.4K ₸10.0M

1.83%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$30.0K ₸13.4M

-10.82%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$93.8 ₸41.8K

-30.54%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$10.79 ₸4,808

178.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$17.49 ₸7,797

112.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$42.61 ₸19.0K

40.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$6.85 ₸3,051

2.77%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$147 ₸65.7K

215.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$4,413 ₸2.0M

200.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$91.2 ₸40.6K

-16.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$46.94 ₸20.9K

19.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$142 ₸63.4K

-21.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$135 ₸60.1K

-10.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$455 ₸202.7K

142.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$308 ₸137.4K

133.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$727 ₸323.9K

248.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$498 ₸221.8K

159.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$1,061 ₸472.7K

276.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$970 ₸432.4K

115.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

20.61

-45.17%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Qapshaghay: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $455 in Qapshaghay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $22.00 in Qapshaghay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $249 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 52% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,088 including rent). Qapshaghay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,633 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $455 in Qapshaghay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Qapshaghay runs roughly 30% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $147 in Qapshaghay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,088 in Qapshaghay versus $1,660 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 52% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.