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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,068 in Quellón.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,643 in Quellón.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,219 in Quellón.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 36% more expensive than Quellón, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Quellón is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$8.67 CLP 7,795

49.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$45.26 CLP 40.7K

16.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$7.85 CLP 7,051

20.13%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.73 CLP 2,451

30.77%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.36 CLP 1,222

18.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$1.05 CLP 944

9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$3.20 CLP 2,878

-1.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$4.11 CLP 3,698

18.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.18 CLP 1,059

44.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.52 CLP 1,364

73.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.95 CLP 1,752

-2.56%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$3.57 CLP 3,206

-28.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$10.55 CLP 9,480

-4.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$6.77 CLP 6,083

22.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$10.97 CLP 9,861

5.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.89 CLP 1,696

60.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.57 CLP 1,411

8.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.54 CLP 1,385

33.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.51 CLP 1,357

36.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.29 CLP 1,161

59.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.37 CLP 1,227

58.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.21 CLP 1,089

15.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$1.22 CLP 1,099

-8.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$5.45 CLP 4,901

-21.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$5.85 CLP 5,261

163.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.61 CLP 1,449

3.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.24 CLP 2,014

64.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.58 CLP 522

-34.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.50 CLP 450

176.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.39 CLP 1,245

-7.91%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$19.9K CLP 17.9M

-4.65%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$21.3K CLP 19.1M

10.16%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$133 CLP 119.8K

-69.23%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$13.37 CLP 12.0K

101.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$21.85 CLP 19.6K

35.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$39.16 CLP 35.2K

33.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$21.09 CLP 19.0K

24.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$5.56 CLP 4,996

11.15%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$434 CLP 390.1K

-1.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$51.5 CLP 46.2K

10.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$30.56 CLP 27.5K

46.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$61.3 CLP 55.1K

70.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$81.3 CLP 73.0K

30.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$480 CLP 431.0K

107.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$366 CLP 329.0K

69.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$870 CLP 781.9K

144.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$591 CLP 530.7K

112.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Quellón: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 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 $288 vs $230 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 36% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,068 including rent). Quellón is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,601 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $480 in Quellón. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $434 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 $1,068 in Quellón versus $1,447 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 36% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.