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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $888 in Quilmes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,482 in Quilmes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,075 in Quilmes.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 66% more expensive than in Quilmes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Quilmes is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$8.77 ARS 13.0K

49.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$30.08 ARS 44.7K

77.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$8.94 ARS 13.3K

4.36%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.72 ARS 2,549

115.12%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.31 ARS 1,947

22.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$1.14 ARS 1,692

-1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.19 ARS 1,774

163.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.72 ARS 4,036

78.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.27 ARS 1,890

29.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.60 ARS 2,372

69.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.80 ARS 2,666

6.11%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.25 ARS 3,340

15.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$13.33 ARS 19.8K

-26.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$6.08 ARS 9,028

38.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$10.34 ARS 15.4K

15.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.90 ARS 2,819

55.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$2.15 ARS 3,193

-19.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.00 ARS 1,487

104.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$2.60 ARS 3,856

-20.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.13 ARS 1,676

90.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.37 ARS 2,033

64.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.86 ARS 1,284

61.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.83 ARS 2,725

-38.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$3.50 ARS 5,199

20.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$4.27 ARS 6,335

310.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.28 ARS 1,906

33.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$3.13 ARS 4,653

15.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.79 ARS 1,170

-55.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$2.47 ARS 3,671

-44.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.92 ARS 1,373

-69.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$6.17 ARS 9,158

-14.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.07 ARS 1,585

27.10%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$24.4K ARS 36.2M

-21.70%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$25.6K ARS 38.0M

-7.77%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$56.3 ARS 83.6K

-27.97%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$18.53 ARS 27.5K

47.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$14.83 ARS 22.0K

104.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$26.27 ARS 39.0K

98.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$13.51 ARS 20.1K

96.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$5.10 ARS 7,576

21.37%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$219 ARS 324.7K

94.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$1,087 ARS 1.6M

887.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$61.6 ARS 91.4K

-5.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$61.0 ARS 90.6K

-26.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$107 ARS 159.5K

-3.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$95.5 ARS 141.8K

13.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$336 ARS 498.8K

201.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$233 ARS 346.5K

166.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$671 ARS 996.1K

215.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$543 ARS 806.8K

125.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,390 ARS 3.5M

58.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,755 ARS 2.6M

20.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$1,109 ARS 1.6M

-5.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

100

-88.66%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Quilmes: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $336 in Quilmes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quilmes pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $30.00 in Quilmes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $238 per month, with Quilmes 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 Quilmes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Quilmes differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $888 including rent). Quilmes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Quilmes. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $336 in Quilmes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $219 in Quilmes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quilmes – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $888 in Quilmes versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quilmes but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Quilmes 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 Quilmes 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 Quilmes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.