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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $526 in Ragama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $851 in Ragama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $1,177 in Ragama.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 179% more expensive than Ragama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Ragama is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$3.92 LKR 1,240

239.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$25.21 LKR 7,978

113.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.54 LKR 2,703

10.30%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.73 LKR 865

31.50%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.74 LKR 233

118.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.40 LKR 127

180.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$2.32 LKR 734

40.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$3.26 LKR 1,032

42.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.58 LKR 501

3.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$0.53 LKR 168

400.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$0.75 LKR 238

161.33%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.19 LKR 694

15.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$14.03 LKR 4,441

-28.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$4.64 LKR 1,468

80.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$7.93 LKR 2,509

49.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$7.69 LKR 2,433

-62.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.07 LKR 340

61.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$5.69 LKR 1,801

-65.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.26 LKR 399

62.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.11 LKR 351

85.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$1.18 LKR 375

93.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.16 LKR 367

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.61 LKR 192

78.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$10.10 LKR 3,198

-57.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$12.87 LKR 4,073

13.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$2.00 LKR 632

-12.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$2.96 LKR 936

20.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$0.39 LKR 123

256.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$0.35 LKR 111

-14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$0.56 LKR 178

866.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.26 LKR 400

6.35%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$27.3K LKR 8.6M

-30.89%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$34.7K LKR 11.0M

-33.22%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$59.0 LKR 18.7K

-31.71%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$4.43 LKR 1,404

512.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$15.40 LKR 4,875

91.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$3.45 LKR 1,091

79.13%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$37.37 LKR 11.8K

1079.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$440 LKR 139.4K

2329.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$27.22 LKR 8,616

110.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$19.32 LKR 6,116

133.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$70.2 LKR 22.2K

47.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$39.05 LKR 12.4K

178.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

16.45

-31.06%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Last update for Ragama: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $0 in Ragama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $25 in Ragama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $255 per month, with Ragama 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 Ragama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Ragama differ by about 179% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $526 including rent). Ragama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,199 in Mexico City and $789 in Ragama 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.

Childcare runs $441 in Mexico City versus $37.37 in Ragama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ragama – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $526 in Ragama versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ragama but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ragama 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 Ragama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 179% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.