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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,069 in Quellón.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,633 in Quellón.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,197 in Quellón.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 38% more expensive than in Quellón, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Quellón is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$8.61 CLP 8,033

52.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$44.10 CLP 41.1K

21.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$8.19 CLP 7,638

13.92%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$2.84 CLP 2,650

30.28%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$1.29 CLP 1,207

24.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$1.03 CLP 960

8.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$3.31 CLP 3,090

-5.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

$4.23 CLP 3,945

14.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$1.20 CLP 1,119

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$1.55 CLP 1,447

74.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$1.89 CLP 1,762

1.06%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$3.51 CLP 3,274

-26.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$10.55 CLP 9,842

-7.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.81 CLP 6,349

23.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$10.80 CLP 10.1K

10.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$1.90 CLP 1,768

55.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$1.56 CLP 1,452

11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$1.58 CLP 1,477

29.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$1.52 CLP 1,420

35.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$1.23 CLP 1,148

74.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$1.36 CLP 1,267

66.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$1.27 CLP 1,184

9.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$1.23 CLP 1,148

-8.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$5.46 CLP 5,094

-22.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$5.90 CLP 5,499

196.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$1.63 CLP 1,517

4.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$2.30 CLP 2,143

57.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

$0.57 CLP 533

-38.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$0.47 CLP 440

193.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$1.38 CLP 1,288

-1.45%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$19.6K CLP 18.3M

-2.74%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$21.8K CLP 20.3M

8.53%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$130 CLP 121.2K

-68.80%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$13.48 CLP 12.6K

103.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$21.70 CLP 20.2K

40.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

$39.07 CLP 36.4K

33.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

$21.39 CLP 20.0K

23.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$5.75 CLP 5,362

7.65%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$438 CLP 408.7K

-2.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$50.1 CLP 46.7K

16.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$30.03 CLP 28.0K

48.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$60.5 CLP 56.4K

71.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$84.0 CLP 78.3K

29.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

$483 CLP 450.8K

109.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$377 CLP 351.2K

65.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

$882 CLP 822.4K

140.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$586 CLP 546.6K

108.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.18

118.92%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Quellón: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $483 in Quellón. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $44.00 in Quellón for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $231 per month, with Quellón 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 Quellón: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Quellón differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,069 including rent). Quellón is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,603 in Quellón 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $483 in Quellón. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $438 in Quellón. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quellón – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,069 in Quellón versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quellón but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Quellón 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 Quellón gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.