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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,541 in Queretaro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $2,316 in Queretaro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $3,091 in Queretaro.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 7% more expensive than in Queretaro, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 20% above, Queretaro 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$11.81 MX$199

2.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$882

$66.5 MX$1,123

-21.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$9.71 MX$164

12.26%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.4

$3.91 MX$66.0

3.58%

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

$1.72 MX$28.96

$1.85 MX$31.19

-7.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.26

$1.16 MX$19.51

18.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.5

$3.90 MX$65.8

-11.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.1

$5.93 MX$100

-2.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.30

$1.99 MX$33.56

-7.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.4

$2.87 MX$48.48

12.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.21

$2.16 MX$36.39

-3.24%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.12

$2.89 MX$48.72

0.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$9.27 MX$156

34.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$9.49 MX$160

6.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$268

$14.75 MX$249

7.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$3.70 MX$62.5

-10.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.91

$1.71 MX$28.82

24.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.99

$2.34 MX$39.56

-6.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.33

$2.11 MX$35.58

16.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.96

$2.08 MX$35.06

5.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.16

$1.95 MX$32.94

-2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.28

$1.58 MX$26.71

2.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.79

$1.27 MX$21.43

6.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.6

$4.79 MX$80.9

13.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$19.20 MX$324

-8.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.92

$2.39 MX$40.43

-13.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.1

$4.45 MX$75.2

6.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.74

$0.64 MX$10.80

-46.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$364

$27.02 MX$456

-20.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.45

$3.44 MX$58.2

-40.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.76

$2.84 MX$47.99

-79.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$11.74 MX$198

-49.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.28

$1.61 MX$27.14

0.62%

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

$22.8K MX$385.2K

$23.2K MX$391.8K

-1.69%

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

$26.7K MX$450.2K

$25.9K MX$438.0K

2.77%

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

$65.2 MX$1,102

$64.6 MX$1,091

0.96%

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

$29.87 MX$504

$29.23 MX$494

2.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$617

$26.98 MX$456

35.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,030

$61.9 MX$1,044

-1.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$26.33 MX$445

1.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$7.96 MX$134

-13.94%

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

$453 MX$7,656

$282 MX$4,768

60.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$225.8K

$5,412 MX$91.4K

147.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,266

$56.9 MX$960

31.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$934

$47.42 MX$801

16.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,918

$107 MX$1,801

6.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,071

$105 MX$1,777

16.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.1K

$927 MX$15.6K

22.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$606 MX$10.2K

17.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.4K

$1,603 MX$27.1K

60.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.1K

$887 MX$15.0K

47.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.4K

$2,404 MX$40.6K

66.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,352 MX$22.8K

54.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$946 MX$16.0K

10.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.99

-5.75%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Queretaro: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $927 in Queretaro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 11% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $67.0 in Queretaro. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $328, with Queretaro cheaper for home cooking.

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 Queretaro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Queretaro differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,541 including rent). Queretaro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $927 in Queretaro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Queretaro runs roughly 25% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $282 in Queretaro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,541 in Queretaro versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Queretaro but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Queretaro 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Queretaro are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Queretaro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.