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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $888 in Quilmes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,488 in Quilmes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,087 in Quilmes.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 67% more expensive than Quilmes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Quilmes is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$8.94 ARS 12.5K

45.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$30.28 ARS 42.2K

75.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$9.14 ARS 12.8K

6.35%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.70 ARS 2,377

120.59%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.27 ARS 1,774

23.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$1.18 ARS 1,642

-4.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.25 ARS 1,747

154.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.70 ARS 3,774

72.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.26 ARS 1,763

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.59 ARS 2,216

70.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.83 ARS 2,556

2.73%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.15 ARS 2,999

16.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$12.98 ARS 18.1K

-22.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.01 ARS 8,382

37.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$10.29 ARS 14.4K

16.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.83 ARS 2,547

56.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$2.19 ARS 3,054

-20.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$0.99 ARS 1,377

110.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$2.64 ARS 3,681

-25.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.14 ARS 1,585

89.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.39 ARS 1,938

56.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.87 ARS 1,212

59.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.87 ARS 2,614

-40.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$3.32 ARS 4,629

26.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$5.12 ARS 7,140

178.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.30 ARS 1,819

35.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$3.02 ARS 4,213

21.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.83 ARS 1,155

-53.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$2.55 ARS 3,557

-45.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.92 ARS 1,285

-67.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$5.86 ARS 8,179

-7.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.06 ARS 1,482

27.36%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$24.1K ARS 33.7M

-21.75%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$26.3K ARS 36.7M

-11.96%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$56.0 ARS 78.1K

-27.09%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$18.84 ARS 26.3K

45.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$14.86 ARS 20.7K

104.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$26.35 ARS 36.8K

102.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$13.75 ARS 19.2K

91.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$4.96 ARS 6,919

26.41%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$221 ARS 307.9K

97.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$1,096 ARS 1.5M

855.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$61.1 ARS 85.3K

-7.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$58.9 ARS 82.1K

-23.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$109 ARS 152.7K

-6.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$95.7 ARS 133.5K

12.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$344 ARS 480.2K

190.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$237 ARS 330.2K

162.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$681 ARS 950.8K

213.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$541 ARS 755.3K

128.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$2,314 ARS 3.2M

67.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,764 ARS 2.5M

32.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,106 ARS 1.5M

-3.50%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Quilmes: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $344 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $30.00 in Quilmes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $239 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 67% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $888 including rent). Quilmes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Quilmes earns 4% less. 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $344 in Quilmes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $221 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 $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $888 in Quilmes versus $1,484 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 67% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.