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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,682 in Mexico City versus $3,508 in Riehen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,599 in Mexico City versus $5,218 in Riehen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,516 in Mexico City versus $6,928 in Riehen.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 52% less than in Riehen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 23% above, Riehen 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 MX$200

$31.28 CHF 25.01

-62.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$884

$124 CHF 99.5

-58.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 MX$184

$16.26 CHF 13.00

-33.15%

Cappuccino

$4.03 MX$68.2

$6.16 CHF 4.92

-34.58%

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

$1.71 MX$28.99

$4.98 CHF 3.98

-65.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.70

$5.32 CHF 4.25

-74.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$7.58 CHF 6.06

-55.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 MX$97.3

$6.94 CHF 5.55

-17.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$31.99

$2.19 CHF 1.75

-13.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$3.22 CHF 2.58

-1.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.74

$3.61 CHF 2.88

-43.21%

Eggs

$3.01 MX$51.1

$7.45 CHF 5.96

-59.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 MX$214

$25.25 CHF 20.19

-50.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 MX$169

$25.49 CHF 20.38

-61.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 MX$271

$38.26 CHF 30.59

-58.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 MX$55.6

$3.54 CHF 2.83

-7.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.87

$1.74 CHF 1.39

18.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.36

$2.53 CHF 2.02

-17.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 MX$42.44

$4.59 CHF 3.67

-45.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.76

$1.82 CHF 1.46

12.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.70

$2.07 CHF 1.65

-9.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$26.66

$2.24 CHF 1.79

-29.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.64

$1.24 CHF 0.99

12.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 MX$91.2

$11.00 CHF 8.80

-51.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 MX$304

$10.55 CHF 8.43

70.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$34.31

$3.50 CHF 2.80

-42.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 MX$80.7

$2.41 CHF 1.93

97.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MX$6.13

$4.31 CHF 3.44

-91.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.80 MX$353

$102 CHF 81.3

-79.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$34.92

$10.18 CHF 8.14

-79.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.55

$4.10 CHF 3.28

-86.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 MX$98.6

$74.6 CHF 59.6

-92.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.05

$2.18 CHF 1.74

-29.36%

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

$22.5K MX$380.6K

$43.9K CHF 35.1K

-48.80%

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

$26.5K MX$448.7K

$40.7K CHF 32.5K

-34.91%

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

$66.0 MX$1,118

$341 CHF 272

-80.64%

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

$30.98 MX$525

$42.09 CHF 33.65

-26.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.20 MX$613

$58.7 CHF 46.90

-38.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 MX$975

$96.9 CHF 77.5

-40.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.75 MX$453

$47.17 CHF 37.71

-43.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.13 MX$121

$21.20 CHF 16.95

-66.37%

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

$457 MX$7,738

$1,866 CHF 1,492

-75.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MX$224.5K

$37.6K CHF 30.1K

-64.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 MX$1,285

$103 CHF 82.2

-26.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 MX$917

$59.7 CHF 47.74

-9.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MX$1,974

$168 CHF 134

-30.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,063

$188 CHF 151

-35.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 MX$19.4K

$1,737 CHF 1,389

-33.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 MX$12.3K

$1,461 CHF 1,169

-50.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 MX$42.4K

$3,505 CHF 2,802

-28.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 MX$22.6K

$2,487 CHF 1,989

-46.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,895 MX$66.0K

$16.5K CHF 13.2K

-76.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 MX$36.4K

$12.1K CHF 9,685

-82.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$8,583 CHF 6,863

-87.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

2.31

391.34%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Last update for Riehen: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,147 in Mexico City and $1,737 in Riehen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riehen pays 703% 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 $124 in Riehen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $554 per month, with Mexico City 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 Riehen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Riehen differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($1,682 vs $3,508 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 703% lower in Riehen. 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: $1,147 in Mexico City versus $1,737 in Riehen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 389% less than in Riehen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $457 in Mexico City versus $1,866 in Riehen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,682 in Mexico City versus $3,508 in Riehen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Riehen. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Riehen 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Riehen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.