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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,668 in Mexico City versus $464 in Qena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $737 in Qena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,557 in Mexico City versus $1,011 in Qena.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 260% more expensive than in Qena, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, Qena is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.03 MX$213

$3.85 E£199

212.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 MX$934

$15.57 E£805

239.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 MX$207

$5.65 E£292

106.90%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$68.4

$1.83 E£94.7

111.48%

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

$1.75 MX$30.94

$0.51 E£26.58

243.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$24.65

$0.15 E£7.67

826.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 MX$59.4

$2.09 E£108

60.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 MX$102

$3.09 E£160

86.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$31.92

$1.00 E£51.6

81.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 MX$54.5

$0.58 E£29.90

431.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 MX$37.65

$0.62 E£31.92

243.55%

Eggs

$2.98 MX$52.6

$1.87 E£96.5

59.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 MX$221

$2.98 E£154

320.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 MX$181

$5.64 E£292

81.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 MX$281

$9.45 E£489

68.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$59.8

$1.50 E£77.5

126.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 MX$37.24

$0.50 E£25.67

322.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$37.59

$0.42 E£21.71

407.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$43.61

$0.42 E£21.88

488.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$36.03

$0.35 E£17.96

482.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.59

$0.37 E£19.20

443.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$28.15

$0.27 E£13.77

488.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$23.50

$0.15 E£8.00

786.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 MX$97.0

$2.27 E£117

141.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 MX$310

$7.29 E£377

140.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$35.61

$1.22 E£62.9

64.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.8

$1.81 E£93.4

161.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.94

$0.21 E£10.92

61.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.07 MX$373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$36.28

$0.41 E£21.06

400.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MX$10.75

$0.18 E£9.52

238.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 MX$101

$1.91 E£98.8

198.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$28.09

$0.45 E£23.34

253.33%

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

$22.9K MX$404.6K

$32.9K E£1.7M

-30.48%

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

$26.4K MX$466.2K

$22.3K E£1.2M

18.38%

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

$64.2 MX$1,135

$25.62 E£1,325

150.74%

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

$29.42 MX$520

$7.84 E£406

275.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.83 MX$651

$9.63 E£498

282.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 MX$1,038

$17.69 E£915

232.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.54 MX$469

Cinema Ticket

$6.95 MX$123

$3.51 E£182

98.01%

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

$463 MX$8,180

$97.5 E£5,040

374.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$236.2K

$604 E£31.2K

2112.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.4 MX$1,333

$20.65 E£1,068

265.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 MX$958

$33.79 E£1,748

60.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$1,965

$114 E£5,887

-2.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,160

$29.50 E£1,526

314.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 MX$20.0K

$131 E£6,789

762.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 MX$12.3K

$77.0 E£3,983

806.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 MX$43.2K

$254 E£13.1K

861.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 MX$23.0K

$146 E£7,566

790.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,910 MX$69.1K

$764 E£39.5K

411.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,069 MX$36.6K

$417 E£21.5K

396.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

16.21

-30.29%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 21, 2026

Last update for Qena: September 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,133 in Mexico City and $131 in Qena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $16.00 in Qena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $134 per month, with Qena 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 Qena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Qena differ by about 260% in total monthly costs ($1,668 vs $464 including rent). Qena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,502 in Mexico City and $696 in Qena 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: $1,133 in Mexico City versus $131 in Qena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Mexico City versus $97.5 in Qena. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Qena – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $464 in Qena versus $1,668 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Qena but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Qena 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 Qena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 260% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.