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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,143 in Quetzaltenango.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,441 in Quetzaltenango.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,740 in Quetzaltenango.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 45% more expensive than in Quetzaltenango, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Quetzaltenango is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$6.65 Q 50.7

79.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$49.45 Q 377

4.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$7.97 Q 60.7

43.16%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$3.44 Q 26.19

15.99%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$1.12 Q 8.53

48.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.83 Q 6.31

60.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$3.22 Q 24.57

7.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$4.85 Q 36.96

21.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$2.04 Q 15.53

-7.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$2.63 Q 20.07

23.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$2.08 Q 15.89

3.85%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$2.53 Q 19.27

14.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$6.15 Q 46.91

109.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$8.03 Q 61.2

25.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$12.98 Q 98.9

22.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.97 Q 22.61

10.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.71 Q 13.01

17.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$2.87 Q 21.89

-23.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$1.63 Q 12.44

44.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.49 Q 11.37

37.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$2.17 Q 16.53

-12.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.72 Q 5.52

123.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.19 Q 9.10

17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$3.24 Q 24.66

68.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$8.01 Q 61.0

120.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.77 Q 13.51

16.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.59 Q 19.74

80.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$5.19 Q 39.58

-59.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$1.75 Q 13.34

-68.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$10.50 Q 80.0

-44.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.23 Q 9.37

30.89%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$27.1K Q 206.4K

-15.65%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$25.7K Q 195.8K

4.13%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$76.9 Q 586

-15.23%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$13.02 Q 99.2

131.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$45.27 Q 345

-17.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$32.28 Q 246

85.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$6.53 Q 49.79

7.81%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$335 Q 2,556

38.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$6,666 Q 50.8K

99.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$47.89 Q 365

58.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$46.79 Q 357

19.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$108 Q 822

3.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$112 Q 851

7.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$396 Q 3,021

178.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$397 Q 3,024

81.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.62

-2.75%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Quetzaltenango: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $396 in Quetzaltenango. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $49.00 in Quetzaltenango for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $264 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 45% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,143 including rent). Quetzaltenango is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,714 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $396 in Quetzaltenango. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $335 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 $49.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,143 in Quetzaltenango versus $1,660 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 45% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.