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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,110 in Quetzaltenango.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,453 in Quetzaltenango.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,797 in Quetzaltenango.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 31% more expensive than in Quetzaltenango, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Quetzaltenango is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$3.95 Q 30.12

230.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$34.24 Q 261

56.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$6.02 Q 45.92

60.80%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$2.48 Q 18.88

50.81%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$0.49 Q 3.70

230.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.48 Q 3.63

141.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$1.37 Q 10.43

135.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$2.06 Q 15.67

130.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.83 Q 13.93

-9.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$2.63 Q 20.03

4.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$2.04 Q 15.59

-8.33%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$2.20 Q 16.75

13.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.96 Q 60.7

28.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$6.36 Q 48.45

29.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$9.23 Q 70.3

28.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$2.37 Q 18.07

27.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.50 Q 11.47

20.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$3.01 Q 22.95

-33.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$1.02 Q 7.79

96.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$1.69 Q 12.91

23.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$1.97 Q 15.02

15.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$0.71 Q 5.40

105.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$1.19 Q 9.08

-9.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$3.24 Q 24.70

34.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$8.26 Q 63.0

105.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.68 Q 12.83

2.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$2.42 Q 18.41

47.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.27 Q 2.07

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$3.69 Q 28.16

-63.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$0.64 Q 4.88

-56.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$6.48 Q 49.39

-18.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$0.95 Q 7.21

41.05%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$15.6K Q 119.3K

24.06%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$22.1K Q 168.5K

7.81%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$81.3 Q 620

-49.94%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$12.93 Q 98.6

107.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$47.81 Q 364

-36.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$32.68 Q 249

61.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$7.30 Q 55.7

-10.82%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$242 Q 1,846

76.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$5,794 Q 44.2K

81.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$51.0 Q 389

12.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$52.8 Q 402

-13.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$110 Q 841

-5.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$121 Q 926

-11.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$217 Q 1,653

362.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$407 Q 3,101

53.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$379 Q 2,887

456.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$252 Q 1,919

383.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Quetzaltenango: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $217 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 $292 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 31% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,110 including rent). Quetzaltenango is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,665 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $217 in Quetzaltenango. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $242 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 $1,110 in Quetzaltenango versus $1,456 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 31% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.