Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sagamihara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sagamihara: $1,228 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Sagamihara, Japan
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Sagamihara
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,228
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,228 in Sagamihara.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Sagamihara $1,228

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $2,005 in Sagamihara.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Sagamihara $2,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,783 in Sagamihara.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Sagamihara $2,783

Living in Mexico City is roughly 31% more expensive than in Sagamihara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Sagamihara is 10% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Sagamihara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$199
$8.50 ¥1,342
24.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$906
$31.84 ¥5,029
51.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$194
$5.16 ¥815
100.58%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$69.2
$2.59 ¥410
42.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.23
$1.26 ¥199
32.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.71
$0.90 ¥143
41.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$59.8
$3.13 ¥495
1.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$99.5
$3.21 ¥507
65.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Sagamihara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.32
$0.94 ¥148
82.98%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$57.0
$0.64 ¥101
375.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.38
$4.12 ¥651
-52.91%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$54.1
$1.87 ¥295
54.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$206
$15.93 ¥2,516
-31.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$173
$6.79 ¥1,072
36.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$283
$17.23 ¥2,721
-12.19%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$57.1
$2.27 ¥359
34.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.38
$1.56 ¥246
24.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.95
$5.09 ¥803
-60.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.38
$7.87 ¥1,242
-70.65%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$38.14
$3.91 ¥618
-47.83%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.73
$4.76 ¥751
-62.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.72
$1.13 ¥178
30.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.75
$0.46 ¥72.5
176.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$99.4
$3.98 ¥628
33.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$302
$9.74 ¥1,539
65.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$37.16
$2.62 ¥413
-24.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.7
$2.15 ¥340
97.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Sagamihara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.72
$1.41 ¥222
-78.01%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$370
$61.3 ¥9,687
-67.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.44
$3.26 ¥515
-43.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$10.00
$2.83 ¥448
-81.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$99.2
$16.00 ¥2,526
-66.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.31
$1.12 ¥176
34.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$407.7K
$22.0K ¥3.5M
-1.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$449.5K
$15.1K ¥2.4M
59.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Sagamihara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,180
$116 ¥18.3K
-45.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$513
$23.59 ¥3,726
16.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$668
$30.85 ¥4,872
15.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Sagamihara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,105
$47.70 ¥7,534
23.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$443
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$120
$12.65 ¥1,998
-49.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Sagamihara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,088
$681 ¥107.6K
-36.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$214.1K
$14.8K ¥2.3M
-22.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Sagamihara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,278
$49.89 ¥7,879
36.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$996
$36.43 ¥5,753
45.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,020
$61.4 ¥9,703
75.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,198
$97.4 ¥15.4K
20.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Sagamihara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.9K
$614 ¥97.0K
81.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.3K
$322 ¥50.9K
120.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.5K
$1,137 ¥179.5K
127.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.3K
$824 ¥130.1K
70.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$68.0K
$4,239 ¥669.5K
-14.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$40.0K
$2,512 ¥396.7K
-15.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Sagamihara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
2.02
461.88%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sagamihara: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Sagamihara
$322 54.7% $388
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Sagamihara
$322 0.7% $2.2
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Sagamihara
$145 26.8% $53
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Sagamihara
$110 29.2% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Sagamihara
$171 35.4% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Sagamihara
$73 1.8% $1.3
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Sagamihara
$84 232% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $614 in Sagamihara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $32 in Sagamihara. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $322, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇯🇵 Sagamihara
🕒 Local time
11:36 11:36 AM
02:36 2:36 AM
15 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
725,493
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Sagamihara 11,340 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Sagamihara

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 Sagamihara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Mexico City and in Sagamihara?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,228 in Sagamihara, so Sagamihara is about 24% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Mexico City compared to Sagamihara?
You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $1,841 in Sagamihara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Mexico City and in Sagamihara?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $614 in Sagamihara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Mexico City and Sagamihara?
Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $681 in Sagamihara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Sagamihara – a meal for two runs $32 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Sagamihara is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Sagamihara?
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.

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