Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Rethymno

For one person, living is cheaper in Rethymno: $1,358 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Rethymno, Greece
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Rethymno
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,358
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Rethymno

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Rethymno actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,358 in Rethymno.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Rethymno $1,358

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $2,031 in Rethymno.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Rethymno $2,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,703 in Rethymno.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Rethymno $2,703

Living in Mexico City is roughly 18% more expensive than in Rethymno, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Rethymno
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$198
$12.69 €11.38
-16.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$901
$56.1 €50.2
-13.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$193
$10.25 €9.18
0.98%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$68.7
$3.54 €3.18
4.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.05
$1.67 €1.50
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.58
$0.58 €0.52
118.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$59.5
$4.54 €4.07
-29.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$98.9
$5.25 €4.70
1.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Rethymno
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.13
$1.58 €1.42
8.86%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$56.6
$1.21 €1.08
151.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.17
$2.26 €2.03
-14.16%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$53.8
$4.48 €4.01
-35.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$204
$15.17 €13.60
-27.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$172
$9.68 €8.67
-4.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$282
$15.43 €13.83
-1.94%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$56.8
$1.99 €1.79
53.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.17
$1.99 €1.78
-2.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.73
$1.24 €1.11
63.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.12
$1.70 €1.52
35.88%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$37.91
$0.96 €0.86
112.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.53
$1.01 €0.90
78.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.56
$0.69 €0.62
114.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.62
$0.74 €0.66
71.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$98.8
$4.38 €3.93
21.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$300
$6.89 €6.18
133.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$36.95
$1.81 €1.62
9.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.2
$1.82 €1.64
133.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Rethymno
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.68
$1.81 €1.62
-82.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$368
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.23
$4.58 €4.10
-59.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.94
$1.14 €1.02
-53.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$98.7
$11.38 €10.20
-53.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.14
$2.21 €1.98
-31.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$405.3K
$22.4K €20.1K
-2.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$446.9K
$24.5K €22.0K
-2.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Rethymno
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,173
$191 €171
-66.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$510
$18.37 €16.46
49.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$664
$31.03 €27.81
14.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Rethymno
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,098
$61.2 €54.8
-3.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$441
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$119
$8.46 €7.58
-24.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Rethymno
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,041
$366 €328
17.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$212.8K
$3,964 €3,552
188.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Rethymno
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,271
$88.2 €79.0
-22.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$990
$11.04 €9.89
381.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,008
$44.52 €39.89
142.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,185
$44.41 €39.80
164.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Rethymno
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.7K
$548 €491
103.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.2K
$447 €401
58.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.2K
$913 €818
183.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.2K
$700 €627
100.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$67.6K
$4,172 €3,738
-12.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$39.8K
$2,963 €2,655
-27.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Rethymno
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.6K
$1,201 €1,076
-21.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
4.3
163.95%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Rethymno: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Rethymno
$447 37.1% $264
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Rethymno
$273 14.4% $46
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Rethymno
$217 9.3% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Rethymno
$85 45.7% $71
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Rethymno
$240 90.5% $114
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Rethymno
$78 8.8% $6.3
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Rethymno
$18 * 31.2% $7.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $548 in Rethymno. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rethymno pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $56 in Rethymno. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $273, with Rethymno cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇬🇷 Rethymno
🕒 Local time
18:33 6:33 PM
02:33 2:33 AM
8 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
35,763
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Rethymno 11,510 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Rethymno

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Rethymno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Mexico City and in Rethymno?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,358 in Rethymno, so Rethymno is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Mexico City. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Mexico City and in Rethymno?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $548 in Rethymno. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Mexico City and Rethymno?
Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $366 in Rethymno. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $48 versus $56 in Rethymno. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,358 in Rethymno versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rethymno but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Rethymno the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Rethymno?
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.

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