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: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $863 in Qapshaghay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,274 in Qapshaghay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $1,686 in Qapshaghay.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 70% more expensive than Qapshaghay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Qapshaghay is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$230

$7.93 ₸3,711

67.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$19.36 ₸9,063

177.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.71 ₸2,673

64.97%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.2

$1.58 ₸740

127.22%

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

$1.62 MX$28.11

$0.84 ₸392

92.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.48

$0.53 ₸248

111.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$0.94 ₸440

245.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$1.14 ₸534

307.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.35

$1.27 ₸595

29.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$45.98

$0.54 ₸254

390.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.97

$1.47 ₸688

33.33%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.06

$1.80 ₸843

41.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$9.46 ₸4,428

5.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$4.72 ₸2,210

77.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$7.57 ₸3,542

56.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.59

$1.38 ₸648

107.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.03

$1.97 ₸921

-12.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.48

$1.97 ₸924

1.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.49

$2.08 ₸971

-1.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.62

$0.61 ₸286

237.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.52

$0.40 ₸186

470.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.04

$1.31 ₸611

10.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.82

$0.75 ₸349

45.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$1.49 ₸699

186.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$8.87 ₸4,149

65.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.56

$0.85 ₸396

107.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$2.08 ₸973

71.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.66

$0.14 ₸67.0

171.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$324

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.07

$0.76 ₸355

82.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.25

$0.67 ₸314

-55.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$4.66 ₸2,183

16.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.21

$0.48 ₸223

179.17%

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

$18.9K MX$326.5K

$23.6K ₸11.0M

-20.00%

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

$23.2K MX$401.8K

$26.9K ₸12.6M

-13.82%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$62.7 ₸29.3K

-35.72%

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

$27.15 MX$470

$8.81 ₸4,125

208.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$13.75 ₸6,436

114.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$913

$33.80 ₸15.8K

56.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$5.31 ₸2,486

16.38%

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

$441 MX$7,633

$260 ₸121.8K

69.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.3K

$4,887 ₸2.3M

118.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$991

$56.1 ₸26.2K

2.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$780

$44.08 ₸20.6K

2.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,792

$97.5 ₸45.6K

6.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,883

$120 ₸56.2K

-9.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$385 ₸180.2K

159.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$10.9K

$271 ₸126.7K

133.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$644 ₸301.6K

232.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$432 ₸202.1K

190.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$1,050 ₸491.5K

256.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.2K

$793 ₸371.3K

200.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Qapshaghay: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $385 in Qapshaghay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $19 in Qapshaghay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $186 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 ($1,466 vs $863 including rent). Qapshaghay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,199 in Mexico City and $1,294 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $385 in Qapshaghay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $441 in Mexico City versus $260 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 $863 in Qapshaghay versus $1,466 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.