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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,075 in Quellón.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,663 in Quellón.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,251 in Quellón.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 38% more expensive than Quellón, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$8.54 CLP 7,592

51.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$44.87 CLP 39.9K

18.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$8.06 CLP 7,166

20.60%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.86 CLP 2,539

31.12%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.29 CLP 1,150

21.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$1.01 CLP 900

11.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$3.30 CLP 2,933

-3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$4.21 CLP 3,746

10.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.19 CLP 1,058

36.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.57 CLP 1,392

72.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.96 CLP 1,740

-4.08%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$3.61 CLP 3,208

-30.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$10.45 CLP 9,291

-3.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.50 CLP 5,783

27.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$10.83 CLP 9,626

10.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.87 CLP 1,665

52.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.50 CLP 1,338

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.59 CLP 1,414

30.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.46 CLP 1,301

34.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.23 CLP 1,094

75.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.41 CLP 1,253

54.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.25 CLP 1,112

11.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.17 CLP 1,043

-4.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$5.41 CLP 4,811

-22.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$10.23 CLP 9,093

39.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.62 CLP 1,440

8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.33 CLP 2,076

57.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.61 CLP 543

-36.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.48 CLP 425

189.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.38 CLP 1,223

-2.17%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$19.7K CLP 17.5M

-4.22%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$21.1K CLP 18.8M

9.48%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$130 CLP 115.3K

-68.52%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$13.31 CLP 11.8K

106.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$22.35 CLP 19.9K

35.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$38.25 CLP 34.0K

39.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$21.49 CLP 19.1K

22.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$5.52 CLP 4,910

13.59%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$428 CLP 380.8K

1.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$50.3 CLP 44.8K

12.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$30.11 CLP 26.8K

48.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$61.1 CLP 54.3K

68.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$83.4 CLP 74.1K

29.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$480 CLP 426.5K

108.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$369 CLP 328.1K

68.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$870 CLP 773.2K

145.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$593 CLP 527.2K

108.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Quellón: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $480 in Quellón. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $45.00 in Quellón for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $237 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 ($1,484 vs $1,075 including rent). Quellón is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,612 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $480 in Quellón. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $428 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 $45.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,075 in Quellón versus $1,484 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.