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: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $883 in Quilmes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $1,462 in Quilmes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $2,040 in Quilmes.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 64% more expensive than in Quilmes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Quilmes is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$225

$9.04 ARS 13.1K

43.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$908

$30.20 ARS 43.8K

73.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$168

$8.83 ARS 12.8K

9.74%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.1

$1.64 ARS 2,382

128.66%

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

$1.56 MX$27.14

$1.33 ARS 1,928

17.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.10

$1.14 ARS 1,649

1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$56.3

$1.24 ARS 1,805

161.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$85.0

$2.70 ARS 3,916

81.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.54

$1.27 ARS 1,839

33.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$46.30

$1.59 ARS 2,300

67.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.77

$1.81 ARS 2,624

4.42%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.74

$2.14 ARS 3,106

17.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$174

$13.24 ARS 19.2K

-24.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$148

$5.88 ARS 8,522

45.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$207

$10.53 ARS 15.3K

13.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.6

$1.83 ARS 2,655

62.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.14

$2.10 ARS 3,051

-14.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.69

$0.94 ARS 1,360

112.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.03

$2.70 ARS 3,923

-27.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.53

$1.15 ARS 1,665

87.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.38

$1.40 ARS 2,030

62.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.34

$0.88 ARS 1,275

59.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.34

$1.85 ARS 2,689

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.9

$3.31 ARS 4,797

26.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$287

$4.40 ARS 6,381

275.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.19

$1.29 ARS 1,873

30.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$62.3

$3.18 ARS 4,614

12.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

$0.76 ARS 1,103

-48.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$333

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.98

$2.53 ARS 3,671

-45.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.24

$0.85 ARS 1,231

-64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$93.5

$5.97 ARS 8,663

-9.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.32

$1.04 ARS 1,505

24.04%

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

$18.9K MX$327.9K

$24.4K ARS 35.5M

-22.70%

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

$23.8K MX$413.0K

$26.4K ARS 38.2M

-9.74%

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

$39.86 MX$692

$55.1 ARS 79.9K

-27.62%

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

$27.83 MX$483

$18.42 ARS 26.7K

51.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$517

$14.46 ARS 21.0K

105.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$902

$26.42 ARS 38.3K

96.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$455

$13.94 ARS 20.2K

88.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

$5.02 ARS 7,279

24.90%

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

$433 MX$7,508

$219 ARS 317.4K

97.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.9K

$1,065 ARS 1.5M

889.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$989

$60.6 ARS 87.9K

-5.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$787

$60.6 ARS 87.9K

-25.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,768

$107 ARS 155.1K

-4.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,883

$94.2 ARS 136.6K

15.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.2K

$342 ARS 496.7K

190.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.7K

$236 ARS 342.7K

161.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$36.2K

$688 ARS 998.0K

203.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.8K

$546 ARS 792.6K

129.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$68.3K

$2,369 ARS 3.4M

66.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$36.2K

$1,801 ARS 2.6M

16.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.6K

$1,107 ARS 1.6M

2.21%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Quilmes: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $342 in Quilmes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 2% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $30.00 in Quilmes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 64% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $883 including rent). Quilmes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $994 in Mexico City versus $342 in Quilmes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $433 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 $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $883 in Quilmes versus $1,448 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 64% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.