Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Riehen

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $3,372 in Riehen, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
164

Cost of Living Index in Riehen
Learn more

Riehen Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Riehen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Riehen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $3,372 in Riehen.

Mexico City $1,567
Riehen $3,372

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $5,084 in Riehen.

Mexico City $2,450
Riehen $5,084

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $6,797 in Riehen.

Mexico City $3,333
Riehen $6,797

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 54% less than in Riehen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 16% above, Riehen 150% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$199

$29.55 CHF 24.34

-63.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$929

$120 CHF 98.5

-57.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

$15.72 CHF 12.94

-29.39%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$6.21 CHF 5.11

-40.74%

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

$1.65 MX$30.42

$4.98 CHF 4.10

-66.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$24.08

$5.26 CHF 4.33

-75.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$7.15 CHF 5.89

-53.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$6.57 CHF 5.41

-15.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$2.13 CHF 1.75

-16.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$3.14 CHF 2.59

-2.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.20

$3.51 CHF 2.89

-42.74%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.1

$7.13 CHF 5.87

-61.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$220

$24.83 CHF 20.45

-52.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$24.86 CHF 20.48

-62.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$278

$37.07 CHF 30.53

-59.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.8

$3.52 CHF 2.90

-12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.97

$1.61 CHF 1.33

21.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.54

$2.51 CHF 2.07

-19.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$4.36 CHF 3.59

-49.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.41

$1.78 CHF 1.46

13.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.67

$2.09 CHF 1.72

-12.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$2.19 CHF 1.80

-30.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

$1.23 CHF 1.02

4.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

$10.91 CHF 8.99

-51.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

$10.39 CHF 8.56

55.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

$3.48 CHF 2.87

-43.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

$2.32 CHF 1.91

83.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.82

$4.45 CHF 3.67

-93.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

$98.6 CHF 81.2

-79.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$9.84 CHF 8.11

-79.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

$4.02 CHF 3.31

-86.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

$73.6 CHF 60.6

-92.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$2.18 CHF 1.80

-30.28%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

$41.5K CHF 34.1K

-49.27%

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

$39.3K CHF 32.3K

-35.85%

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

$62.5 MX$1,155

$339 CHF 280

-81.59%

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

$28.77 MX$532

$41.49 CHF 34.17

-30.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$637

$56.6 CHF 46.59

-39.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,055

$88.7 CHF 73.1

-35.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

$45.01 CHF 37.07

-44.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$21.40 CHF 17.63

-68.83%

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

$431 MX$7,964

$1,786 CHF 1,471

-75.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

$36.6K CHF 30.2K

-67.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,308

$102 CHF 84.0

-30.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$958

$57.0 CHF 46.94

-9.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,011

$165 CHF 136

-34.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,076

$183 CHF 151

-38.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$1,680 CHF 1,384

-37.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.3K

$1,440 CHF 1,186

-53.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.3K

$3,422 CHF 2,819

-31.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.7K

$2,418 CHF 1,992

-49.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

-77.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

$12.0K CHF 9,867

-83.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

$8,642 CHF 7,118

-88.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.31

389.18%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Riehen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

Riehen

$1.4K 42.7% 117% $775

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

Riehen

$540 16% 67.4% $218

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

Riehen

$448 13.3% 121% $245

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

Riehen

$228 6.8% 47.6% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Riehen

$438 13% 248% $312

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Riehen

$132 3.9% 86.8% $61

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

Riehen

$146 4.3% 468% $121

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Mexico City and $1,680 in Riehen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riehen pays 787% 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: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $120 in Riehen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $540 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇭 Riehen

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

21:37 9:37 PM

8 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

20,970

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Riehen 9,610 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Riehen

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 Riehen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Riehen differ by about 115% in total monthly costs ($1,567 vs $3,372 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 787% 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: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $1,680 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 397% less than in Riehen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $431 in Mexico City versus $1,786 in Riehen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $3,372 in Riehen, a $2,000 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 115% less than in Riehen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.