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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,294 in Queretaro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,993 in Queretaro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,692 in Queretaro.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 13% more expensive than in Queretaro, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Queretaro is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$9.43 MX$165

38.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$45.49 MX$798

18.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$7.73 MX$136

25.23%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$3.53 MX$61.9

5.95%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$1.31 MX$23.03

23.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.96 MX$16.83

20.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$2.40 MX$42.04

34.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$4.28 MX$75.1

10.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.61 MX$28.18

2.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$2.61 MX$45.70

5.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.93 MX$33.86

-3.11%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$2.32 MX$40.77

7.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$8.44 MX$148

20.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$9.42 MX$165

-12.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$13.11 MX$230

-9.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$3.58 MX$62.8

-15.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.46 MX$25.56

23.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$1.90 MX$33.39

5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$1.71 MX$29.97

16.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$1.73 MX$30.33

20.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$1.84 MX$32.21

23.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$1.30 MX$22.84

12.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$1.14 MX$20.01

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$4.20 MX$73.7

3.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$17.06 MX$299

-0.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.94 MX$34.04

-10.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$3.26 MX$57.2

9.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.55 MX$9.70

-29.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$23.65 MX$415

-20.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$3.26 MX$57.1

-59.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$1.24 MX$21.67

-77.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$9.30 MX$163

-43.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.26 MX$22.05

6.35%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$19.7K MX$345.9K

-1.58%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$20.5K MX$359.9K

16.14%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$62.5 MX$1,096

-34.89%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$23.75 MX$417

13.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$28.25 MX$495

8.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$50.1 MX$878

5.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$26.33 MX$462

1.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$6.12 MX$107

6.37%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$314 MX$5,500

36.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$4,841 MX$84.9K

116.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$50.8 MX$891

12.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$41.93 MX$735

8.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$98.4 MX$1,725

5.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$98.4 MX$1,726

9.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$654 MX$11.5K

53.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$491 MX$8,605

26.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$1,200 MX$21.0K

75.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$810 MX$14.2K

50.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$2,327 MX$40.8K

66.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$1,318 MX$23.1K

54.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$914 MX$16.0K

13.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.55

-1.82%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Queretaro: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $654 in Queretaro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 14% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $45.00 in Queretaro. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $292, with Mexico City 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 13% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,294 including rent). Queretaro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $654 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 27% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $314 in Queretaro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,294 in Queretaro versus $1,456 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 13% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.