Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Roquetas de Mar Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Roquetas de Mar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,326 in Roquetas de Mar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,933 in Roquetas de Mar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,540 in Roquetas de Mar.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 11% more expensive than in Roquetas de Mar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, Roquetas de Mar 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$11.40 €9.88

15.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$58.7 €50.8

-8.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$11.79 €10.21

-20.87%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.65 €1.43

124.24%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$3.07 €2.66

-47.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$1.75 €1.52

-36.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.97 €2.58

5.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.90 €2.51

67.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.23 €1.07

34.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.49 €1.29

81.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.14 €0.99

67.54%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$3.46 €3.00

-25.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$9.49 €8.22

3.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$7.75 €6.71

8.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$17.40 €15.07

-31.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.00 €1.73

47.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.70 €1.47

2.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.07 €0.93

90.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.64 €1.42

25.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$2.33 €2.02

-7.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.17 €1.01

93.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.56 €0.48

148.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.64 €0.55

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$6.85 €5.93

-38.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$3.35 €2.90

422.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.42 €1.23

20.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.19 €1.90

65.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.41 €0.35

-14.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$34.62 €29.99

-44.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$3.55 €3.08

-61.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$1.22 €1.06

-77.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$14.00 €12.13

-62.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.72 €1.49

-20.93%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$39.1K €33.9K

-51.17%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$29.9K €25.9K

-21.09%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$119 €103

-66.03%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$5.75 €4.98

376.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$23.23 €20.12

30.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$36.36 €31.49

43.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$15.22 €13.18

73.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$9.49 €8.22

-34.77%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$471 €408

-9.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$11.1K €9,576

-2.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$85.4 €74.0

-31.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$53.2 €46.08

-16.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$58.9 €51.0

75.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$107 €93.0

1.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$570 €494

77.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$519 €450

19.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$807 €699

162.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$607 €526

101.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,048 €1,774

85.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,644 €1,423

28.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$1,282 €1,110

-17.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.9

190.77%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Roquetas de Mar: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $570 in Roquetas de Mar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roquetas de Mar pays 22% 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 $59.0 in Roquetas de Mar. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $235, with Roquetas de Mar 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 Roquetas de Mar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Roquetas de Mar differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,326 including rent). Roquetas de Mar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Roquetas de Mar. 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $570 in Roquetas de Mar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Roquetas de Mar runs roughly 79% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $471 in Roquetas de Mar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,326 in Roquetas de Mar versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roquetas de Mar but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Roquetas de Mar 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 Roquetas de Mar 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 Roquetas de Mar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.