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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $423 in Rawalpindi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $666 in Rawalpindi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $909 in Rawalpindi.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 243% more expensive than Rawalpindi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Rawalpindi is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$1.79 PKR 497

624.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$14.12 PKR 3,926

270.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$5.38 PKR 1,495

80.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 PKR 435

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 PKR 975

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$1.72 PKR 477

118.02%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$0.34 PKR 94.7

358.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$0.23 PKR 64.0

404.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$0.79 PKR 220

115.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$0.56 PKR 156

376.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$1.24 PKR 346

52.42%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$1.17 PKR 326

115.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$5.95 PKR 1,654

68.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$3.38 PKR 939

152.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$4.44 PKR 1,234

168.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$0.94 PKR 261

215.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$0.64 PKR 179

179.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$0.86 PKR 240

132.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$0.51 PKR 141

284.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$0.36 PKR 101

500.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$0.49 PKR 135

363.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$0.24 PKR 66.2

483.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$0.36 PKR 101

208.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$16.46 PKR 4,576

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 PKR 289

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 PKR 635

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$1.99 PKR 553

111.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

$0.17 PKR 47.86

129.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

$9.93 PKR 2,762

93.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$0.86 PKR 239

60.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$0.36 PKR 99.0

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$2.95 PKR 821

82.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$0.98 PKR 271

31.63%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

$17.6K PKR 4.9M

7.32%

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

2.94%

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

$39.86 MX$686

$100 PKR 27.9K

-60.28%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$3.97 PKR 1,104

601.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$16.55 PKR 4,601

79.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

$10.13 PKR 2,816

412.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

$7.47 PKR 2,076

251.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$3.63 PKR 1,010

72.73%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$39.82 PKR 11.1K

986.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$969 PKR 269.3K

987.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$11.62 PKR 3,229

390.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$19.00 PKR 5,282

138.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$89.2 PKR 24.8K

14.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$28.78 PKR 8,001

277.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

$133 PKR 36.9K

648.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

$65.3 PKR 18.2K

844.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

$327 PKR 91.0K

537.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

$173 PKR 48.0K

627.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

$1,142 PKR 317.4K

244.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

$505 PKR 140.3K

313.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

$172 PKR 47.7K

558.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

20.17

-43.78%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Last update for Rawalpindi: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $133 in Rawalpindi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 559% 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 $14.00 in Rawalpindi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $93.0 per month, with Rawalpindi 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 Rawalpindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Rawalpindi differ by about 243% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $423 including rent). Rawalpindi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 559% more on average, 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 $133 in Rawalpindi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rawalpindi runs roughly 93% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $433 in Mexico City versus $39.82 in Rawalpindi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $423 in Rawalpindi versus $1,448 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rawalpindi but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Rawalpindi 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 Rawalpindi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 243% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.