Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Quetta

For one person, living is cheaper in Quetta: $415 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Quetta
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Quetta Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Quetta

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$415

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Quetta

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Quetta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $415 in Quetta.

Mexico City $1,608
Quetta $415

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $620 in Quetta.

Mexico City $2,549
Quetta $620

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $826 in Quetta.

Mexico City $3,490
Quetta $826

Living in Mexico City is roughly 288% more expensive than in Quetta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Quetta is 70% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$3.51 PKR 971

202.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$10.77 PKR 2,978

348.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$4.59 PKR 1,269

125.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 PKR 514

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 PKR 1,429

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$1.65 PKR 455

123.64%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$0.41 PKR 114

307.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$0.17 PKR 48.30

647.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$0.75 PKR 206

129.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$0.55 PKR 152

452.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.28 PKR 353

51.56%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$1.18 PKR 327

144.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$5.02 PKR 1,387

118.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$2.95 PKR 816

213.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$5.18 PKR 1,433

192.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$0.99 PKR 274

208.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$0.56 PKR 155

246.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$0.69 PKR 190

194.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$0.55 PKR 152

320.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$0.32 PKR 88.6

537.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$0.52 PKR 143

246.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$0.42 PKR 117

252.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$0.40 PKR 110

217.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.83 PKR 507

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 332

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 PKR 667

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$2.04 PKR 563

159.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.14 PKR 37.85

121.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$9.01 PKR 2,490

118.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$1.04 PKR 288

76.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$0.47 PKR 129

12.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$1.53 PKR 424

246.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$1.15 PKR 317

31.30%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$19.9K PKR 5.5M

9.30%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

2.24%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$100 PKR 27.7K

-37.14%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$7.95 PKR 2,198

244.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$16.48 PKR 4,557

116.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$5.81 PKR 1,607

914.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$7.46 PKR 2,061

216.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$3.23 PKR 893

98.14%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$35.14 PKR 9,715

1128.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$1,039 PKR 287.2K

999.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$8.05 PKR 2,226

747.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$22.10 PKR 6,109

140.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$68.8 PKR 19.0K

56.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$33.98 PKR 9,394

245.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$71.3 PKR 19.7K

1460.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

1301.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$164 PKR 45.4K

1476.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$101 PKR 27.8K

1298.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$386 PKR 106.8K

840.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$222 PKR 61.5K

859.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$274 PKR 75.8K

245.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

-12.69%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Quetta: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Quetta

$51 12.2% 92.9% $660

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Quetta

$90 21.8% 71.7% $229

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Quetta

$64 15.4% 67.8% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Quetta

$60 14.4% 61.6% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Quetta

$125 30.1% 1.1% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Quetta

$12 3% 82.9% $59

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Quetta

$13 3.1% 49.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $71 in Quetta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 3.5 times 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: $48 in Mexico City vs $11 in Quetta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $90 per month, with Quetta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇰 Quetta

🕒 Local time

21:59 9:59 PM

08:59 8:59 AM

11 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,001,205

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 276 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Quetta 14,300 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Quetta

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Quetta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $415 in Quetta, so Quetta is about 74% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Mexico City is about 3.5 times higher, 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $71 in Quetta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Quetta runs roughly 54% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $35 in Quetta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $415 in Quetta versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quetta but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Quetta 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 Quetta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.