Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Saipan

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,561 a month against $1,741 in Saipan, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in Saipan despite lower rent and utilities.

77

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Saipan

🇲🇵 Northern Mariana Islands

$1,741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $1,741 in Saipan.

Mexico City $1,561
Saipan $1,741

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $2,573 in Saipan.

Mexico City $2,440
Saipan $2,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $3,404 in Saipan.

Mexico City $3,319
Saipan $3,404

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 10% less than in Saipan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 16% above, Saipan 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$202

$15.06 $15.06

-26.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$891

$42.46 $42.46

15.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$204

$14.77 $14.77

-23.97%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$68.4

$5.44 $5.44

-30.88%

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

$1.65 MX$30.05

$2.05 $2.05

-19.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.27

$1.39 $1.39

-7.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$59.2

$6.08 $6.08

-46.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$103

$7.33 $7.33

-22.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$32.92

$2.63 $2.63

-31.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$53.5

$5.71 $5.71

-48.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.27

$45.17 $45.17

-95.46%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$53.2

$6.07 $6.07

-51.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$217

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$173

$13.19 $13.19

-27.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$270

$6.46 $6.46

129.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$57.2

$6.51 $6.51

-51.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.65

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$37.75

$6.69 $6.69

-68.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.35

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.47

$1.99 $1.99

3.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.14

$2.23 $2.23

-15.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$26.93

$4.85 $4.85

-69.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.47

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$98.4

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$307

$14.78 $14.78

14.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.09

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$78.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.27

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$38.11

$5.01 $5.01

-58.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$98.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.65

$1.42 $1.42

7.04%

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

$21.7K MX$395.3K

$37.2K $37.2K

-41.54%

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

$24.8K MX$451.4K

$22.0K $22.0K

12.69%

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

$63.0 MX$1,145

$377 $377

-83.30%

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

$28.88 MX$525

$59.9 $59.9

-51.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$617

$90.3 $90.3

-62.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,015

$61.1 $61.1

-8.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$123

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

$428 MX$7,781

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$216.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,274

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$977

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,997

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,096

$39.50 $39.50

191.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.3K

$815 $815

30.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.2K

$382 $382

75.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.3K

$803 $803

196.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$22.9K

$789 $789

59.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.1K

$1,015 $1,015

-1.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Saipan: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$671 42.4%

Saipan

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$327 20.7%

Saipan

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$207 13.1%

Saipan

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$157 9.9%

Saipan

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Saipan

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$69 4.4%

Saipan

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Saipan

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Mexico City and $815 in Saipan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saipan pays 2% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $42.00 in Saipan. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $492, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇵 Saipan

🕒 Local time

01:35 1:35 AM

17:35 5:35 PM

16 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

48,220 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Saipan 11,940 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Saipan

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 Saipan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Saipan differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,561 vs $1,741 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Saipan. 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: $1,062 in Mexico City versus $815 in Saipan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $42.00 in Saipan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,561 per month in Mexico City versus $1,741 in Saipan – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,561 in Mexico City versus $1,741 in Saipan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Saipan. 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 Saipan 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 12% less than in Saipan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.