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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,098 in Quetzaltenango.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,435 in Quetzaltenango.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,772 in Quetzaltenango.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 34% more expensive than Quetzaltenango, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Quetzaltenango is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.11 Q 31.29

220.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$34.08 Q 260

58.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.85 Q 44.56

61.03%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.55 Q 19.43

39.22%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.48 Q 3.66

237.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.49 Q 3.71

126.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.39 Q 10.56

124.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.95 Q 14.85

137.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.82 Q 13.86

-6.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$2.62 Q 19.98

3.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.03 Q 15.45

-5.91%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.22 Q 16.95

14.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.98 Q 60.8

25.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.27 Q 47.77

29.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$9.23 Q 70.3

25.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.41 Q 18.39

23.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.53 Q 11.66

18.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$3.12 Q 23.77

-35.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.02 Q 7.80

99.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.75 Q 13.31

21.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.89 Q 14.43

20.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.75 Q 5.74

86.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.22 Q 9.30

-7.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.31 Q 25.25

29.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$7.94 Q 60.5

95.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.66 Q 12.66

6.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.44 Q 18.61

47.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.27 Q 2.07

40.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$3.67 Q 27.94

-62.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.60 Q 4.60

-53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$6.61 Q 50.3

-17.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.95 Q 7.24

36.84%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$15.6K Q 119.0K

19.69%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$22.7K Q 173.2K

1.79%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$79.4 Q 605

-48.53%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$13.27 Q 101

102.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$47.94 Q 365

-37.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$32.69 Q 249

59.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.39 Q 56.3

-14.75%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$244 Q 1,859

78.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$5,720 Q 43.6K

82.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$49.21 Q 375

15.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$54.1 Q 412

-17.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$112 Q 850

-7.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$124 Q 946

-15.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$211 Q 1,606

384.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$401 Q 3,056

57.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$376 Q 2,868

467.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$260 Q 1,981

378.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

7.69

47.46%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Quetzaltenango: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $211 in Quetzaltenango. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Quetzaltenango for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $239 per month, with Quetzaltenango 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 Quetzaltenango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Quetzaltenango differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,098 including rent). Quetzaltenango is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,647 in Quetzaltenango 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $211 in Quetzaltenango. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $244 in Quetzaltenango. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quetzaltenango – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,098 in Quetzaltenango versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quetzaltenango but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Quetzaltenango 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 Quetzaltenango gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.