Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Qapshaghay

For one person, living is cheaper in Qapshaghay: $1,082 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Qapshaghay
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Qapshaghay Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Qapshaghay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,082

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Qapshaghay

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Qapshaghay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,082 in Qapshaghay.

Mexico City $1,608
Qapshaghay $1,082

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,631 in Qapshaghay.

Mexico City $2,549
Qapshaghay $1,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,180 in Qapshaghay.

Mexico City $3,490
Qapshaghay $2,180

Living in Mexico City is roughly 49% more expensive than in Qapshaghay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Qapshaghay is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$11.02 ₸4,990

-3.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$906

$22.49 ₸10.2K

114.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$6.63 ₸3,002

56.11%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.2

$1.73 ₸783

113.29%

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

$1.67 MX$31.23

$1.01 ₸458

65.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.71

$0.70 ₸318

81.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.8

$1.32 ₸596

141.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.5

$1.32 ₸596

302.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.32

$1.72 ₸779

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.0

$0.44 ₸199

590.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

$2.10 ₸951

-7.62%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.1

$2.44 ₸1,105

18.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$12.21 ₸5,533

-10.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

$6.60 ₸2,991

40.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$283

$10.80 ₸4,894

40.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.1

$1.81 ₸818

68.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

$2.39 ₸1,081

-18.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.95

$2.92 ₸1,322

-30.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.38

$2.70 ₸1,223

-14.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.14

$0.80 ₸362

155.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.73

$0.56 ₸252

221.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.72

$1.66 ₸752

-10.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.75

$1.00 ₸452

27.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$1.66 ₸753

219.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

$10.95 ₸4,959

47.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.16

$1.21 ₸547

63.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.7

$2.37 ₸1,073

79.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.72

$0.20 ₸92.7

55.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$370

$18.05 ₸8,175

9.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.44

$0.84 ₸383

119.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.00

$0.70 ₸315

-24.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.2

$3.91 ₸1,771

35.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.31

$0.60 ₸274

151.67%

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

$21.8K MX$407.7K

$28.4K ₸12.8M

-23.28%

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

$24.0K MX$449.5K

$31.0K ₸14.1M

-22.67%

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

$63.0 MX$1,180

$91.1 ₸41.3K

-30.86%

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

$27.39 MX$513

$10.77 ₸4,880

154.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$668

$18.05 ₸8,177

97.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,105

$41.86 ₸19.0K

40.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$443

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$6.48 ₸2,937

-1.23%

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

$432 MX$8,088

$142 ₸64.5K

202.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.1K

$4,442 ₸2.0M

157.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,278

$93.2 ₸42.2K

-26.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$996

$49.25 ₸22.3K

7.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,020

$142 ₸64.2K

-23.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,198

$131 ₸59.1K

-10.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$443 ₸200.7K

151.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$308 ₸139.4K

130.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.5K

$721 ₸326.6K

258.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

$503 ₸227.8K

179.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.0K

$1,131 ₸512.2K

221.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.0K

$757 ₸342.7K

182.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

20.65

-45.04%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Qapshaghay: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Qapshaghay

$308 28.4% 56.7% $403

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Qapshaghay

$245 22.7% 23.3% $74

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Qapshaghay

$145 13.4% 27.1% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Qapshaghay

$187 17.3% 19.7% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Qapshaghay

$120 11.1% 4.9% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Qapshaghay

$55 5.1% 23.6% $17

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Qapshaghay

$23 2.1% 8.9% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $443 in Qapshaghay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $22 in Qapshaghay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $245 per month, with Qapshaghay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇰🇿 Qapshaghay

🕒 Local time

11:36 11:36 AM

22:36 10:36 PM

11 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

42,167

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Mexico City Qapshaghay 12,970 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Qapshaghay

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,082 in Qapshaghay, so Qapshaghay is about 33% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $1,623 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $443 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 9% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $142 in Qapshaghay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Qapshaghay is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.