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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,640 in Riga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $2,479 in Riga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $3,318 in Riga.

Monthly costs are close between Mexico City and Riga; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 20% above, Riga 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$17.13 €14.73

-29.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$69.1 €59.4

-24.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$9.14 €7.86

19.26%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$3.77 €3.24

7.43%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$1.68 €1.44

2.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$1.18 €1.02

16.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$5.72 €4.92

-39.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$4.60 €3.95

26.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$1.19 €1.02

55.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$1.53 €1.31

110.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$2.51 €2.16

-16.73%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$3.81 €3.27

-23.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$11.01 €9.47

13.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$9.05 €7.78

11.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$14.89 €12.80

6.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$2.26 €1.94

46.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$1.93 €1.66

10.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$2.49 €2.14

-12.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$3.14 €2.70

-21.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$0.96 €0.83

128.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$1.03 €0.89

84.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.82 €1.56

-10.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$1.07 €0.92

26.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$6.86 €5.90

-20.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$8.22 €7.07

113.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$2.10 €1.81

-1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$2.07 €1.78

129.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$1.70 €1.46

-80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$34.43 €29.60

-37.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$3.41 €2.93

-40.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$1.03 €0.89

-43.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$18.66 €16.04

-68.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$2.11 €1.81

-23.22%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$28.4K €24.4K

-19.68%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$32.5K €27.9K

-17.98%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$383 €329

-82.98%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$21.91 €18.84

36.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$19.75 €16.98

85.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$50.3 €43.24

21.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$36.42 €31.31

-26.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$11.33 €9.74

-39.54%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$634 €545

-28.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$18.6K €16.0K

-28.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$71.8 €61.7

4.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$52.7 €45.27

4.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$87.8 €75.5

29.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$145 €125

-15.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$593 €510

91.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$391 €336

82.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$1,167 €1,004

120.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$744 €640

76.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$3,159 €2,715

26.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$2,201 €1,892

-4.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$1,533 €1,318

-31.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.64

143.53%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Riga: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $593 in Riga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riga pays 46% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $69.0 in Riga. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $280, with Riga 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 Riga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Riga. 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $593 in Riga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $634 in Riga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Riga – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,640 in Riga versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Riga but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Riga 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 Riga are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Riga wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.