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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $519 in Ragama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $861 in Ragama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,203 in Ragama.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 184% more expensive than in Ragama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Ragama is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$4.07 LKR 1,363

222.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$24.91 LKR 8,346

114.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$8.51 LKR 2,850

9.64%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$2.63 LKR 880

40.68%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$0.73 LKR 245

119.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.38 LKR 126

194.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$2.32 LKR 777

35.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

$3.32 LKR 1,112

46.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$1.58 LKR 528

4.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$0.56 LKR 189

383.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$0.73 LKR 243

161.64%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$2.11 LKR 706

22.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$14.22 LKR 4,765

-31.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.54 LKR 1,523

85.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$8.20 LKR 2,747

45.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$7.41 LKR 2,482

-60.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$1.12 LKR 376

55.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$5.81 LKR 1,948

-64.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$1.24 LKR 416

66.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$1.16 LKR 388

85.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$1.24 LKR 416

82.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$1.15 LKR 386

20.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$0.55 LKR 186

103.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$10.07 LKR 3,373

-58.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$12.44 LKR 4,167

40.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$2.10 LKR 705

-18.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$2.98 LKR 999

21.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$0.38 LKR 129

263.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$0.35 LKR 118

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

$0.57 LKR 191

826.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$1.26 LKR 423

7.94%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$26.3K LKR 8.8M

-27.25%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$34.2K LKR 11.4M

-30.88%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$59.4 LKR 19.9K

-31.79%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$4.29 LKR 1,437

538.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$14.96 LKR 5,013

103.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$3.36 LKR 1,127

84.23%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$37.47 LKR 12.6K

1034.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$445 LKR 149.1K

2312.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$27.07 LKR 9,070

115.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$19.30 LKR 6,467

130.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$69.5 LKR 23.3K

48.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$39.20 LKR 13.1K

177.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Ragama: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $25.00 in Ragama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 184% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $519 including rent). Ragama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $779 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 $425 in Mexico City versus $37.47 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 $519 in Ragama versus $1,472 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 184% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.