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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,449 in Rethymno.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,232 in Rethymno.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $3,015 in Rethymno.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 1% more expensive than Rethymno, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Rethymno 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$13.81 €11.88

-4.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$46.46 €39.96

16.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$11.43 €9.83

-17.59%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$3.39 €2.91

4.72%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.76 €1.51

-7.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.47 €0.40

136.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$5.96 €5.13

-47.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$5.90 €5.08

-21.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.89 €1.63

-10.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.44 €1.24

88.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.66 €2.29

-28.20%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$4.25 €3.66

-40.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$16.85 €14.49

-40.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$11.63 €10.01

-30.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$14.64 €12.59

-20.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.25 €1.94

32.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$2.19 €1.88

-17.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.49 €1.28

34.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.87 €1.61

8.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.77 €0.66

175.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.55 €1.33

46.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.93 €0.80

50.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.37 €0.31

205.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$5.16 €4.44

-17.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$6.87 €5.91

126.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.88 €1.62

-6.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$3.42 €2.94

5.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.59 €1.37

-76.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$45.98 €39.55

-58.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$4.73 €4.07

-70.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$11.46 €9.86

-52.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$2.10 €1.81

-38.10%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$34.2K €29.4K

-45.30%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$26.0K €22.4K

-11.05%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$158 €136

-74.09%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$19.69 €16.93

36.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$33.21 €28.56

-9.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$47.65 €40.99

9.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.99 €6.87

-21.15%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$384 €331

13.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,208 €3,619

147.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$99.5 €85.6

-43.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$45.67 €39.29

-2.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$87.5 €75.3

17.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$136 €117

-22.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$583 €501

75.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$441 €379

43.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$968 €833

120.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$765 €658

62.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$4,050 €3,483

-3.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$2,923 €2,514

-29.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,165 €1,002

-4.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.3

163.72%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Rethymno: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $583 in Rethymno. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rethymno pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $46.00 in Rethymno. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $297, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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

Mexico City and Rethymno differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,449 including rent). Rethymno is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rethymno earns 4% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $583 in Rethymno. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rethymno runs roughly 140% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $384 in Rethymno. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,449 in Rethymno versus $1,467 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.

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 Rethymno 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 Rethymno gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.