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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $954 in Quilmes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,568 in Quilmes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,183 in Quilmes.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 74% more expensive than in Quilmes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Quilmes is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$5.74 ARS 8,688

107.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$35.51 ARS 53.8K

45.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$8.78 ARS 13.3K

29.95%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$2.96 ARS 4,484

34.80%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$1.69 ARS 2,555

-1.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$1.70 ARS 2,576

-21.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$4.06 ARS 6,149

-14.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.22 ARS 3,367

165.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.02 ARS 1,545

84.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$1.62 ARS 2,459

100.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.61 ARS 2,430

34.16%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$2.27 ARS 3,439

27.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$13.57 ARS 20.5K

-5.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$5.80 ARS 8,776

73.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$9.99 ARS 15.1K

58.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$1.91 ARS 2,895

72.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.59 ARS 2,413

26.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.07 ARS 1,616

105.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$2.46 ARS 3,727

-4.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$1.00 ARS 1,509

105.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$0.64 ARS 964

196.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$0.68 ARS 1,028

136.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.69 ARS 1,041

102.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$4.94 ARS 7,474

10.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$4.18 ARS 6,327

322.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$1.21 ARS 1,837

70.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$1.94 ARS 2,934

141.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$1.06 ARS 1,610

-67.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$1.59 ARS 2,407

32.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$1.01 ARS 1,536

-44.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.14 ARS 1,722

41.23%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$49.2K ARS 74.5M

-53.59%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$38.3K ARS 58.1M

-30.24%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$61.1 ARS 92.6K

6.61%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$14.74 ARS 22.3K

104.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$22.26 ARS 33.7K

67.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$34.03 ARS 51.5K

75.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$9.81 ARS 14.9K

-28.24%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$258 ARS 390.2K

80.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$95.3 ARS 144.2K

-20.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$34.38 ARS 52.0K

62.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$65.2 ARS 98.7K

71.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$69.8 ARS 105.6K

72.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$479 ARS 725.9K

129.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$325 ARS 491.5K

122.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$922 ARS 1.4M

174.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$735 ARS 1.1M

75.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$2,315 ARS 3.5M

72.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,813 ARS 2.7M

15.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$1,082 ARS 1.6M

-4.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

100

-88.70%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Quilmes: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $479 in Quilmes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quilmes pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $36.00 in Quilmes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $211 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 74% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $954 including rent). Quilmes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $479 in Quilmes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $258 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 $36.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $954 in Quilmes versus $1,660 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 74% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.