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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,117 in Secunda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,685 in Secunda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,253 in Secunda.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 47% more expensive than in Secunda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Secunda is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$6.09 R 97.4

98.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$31.27 R 500

67.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$5.71 R 91.3

90.89%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$2.36 R 37.79

71.61%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$0.85 R 13.67

102.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$0.52 R 8.35

165.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$1.10 R 17.65

215.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$1.35 R 21.67

330.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$1.23 R 19.68

50.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$0.93 R 14.89

246.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$1.87 R 29.94

11.76%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$2.61 R 41.74

11.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$8.27 R 132

51.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$5.10 R 81.5

98.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$7.35 R 118

116.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$1.88 R 30.11

76.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$1.68 R 26.95

26.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$1.84 R 29.45

19.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$1.77 R 28.30

38.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$1.30 R 20.82

68.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$1.35 R 21.55

40.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.23 R 19.61

31.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$1.38 R 22.13

-2.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$3.40 R 54.3

59.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$5.33 R 85.3

230.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$1.58 R 25.23

31.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$1.98 R 31.68

139.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$1.57 R 25.12

-78.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$0.32 R 5.15

537.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$0.79 R 12.63

-26.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$14.76 R 236

-59.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.55 R 24.76

4.52%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$37.3K R 596.0K

-38.79%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$34.7K R 555.1K

-23.18%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$154 R 2,458

-57.56%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$38.13 R 610

-21.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$38.26 R 612

-4.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$32.74 R 524

86.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$12.51 R 200

113.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$7.51 R 120

-8.79%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$94.0 R 1,503

382.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$5,642 R 90.2K

136.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$54.1 R 864

38.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$32.79 R 524

68.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$93.6 R 1,497

21.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$86.3 R 1,381

42.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$408 R 6,525

177.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$384 R 6,138

85.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$763 R 12.2K

237.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$760 R 12.2K

72.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$890 R 14.2K

348.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$657 R 10.5K

219.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$1,521 R 24.3K

-31.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.34

-0.35%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Secunda: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $408 in Secunda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Secunda pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $31.00 in Secunda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $198 per month, with Secunda cheaper across the board.

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 Secunda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Secunda differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,117 including rent). Secunda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Secunda. 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 $408 in Secunda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $94.0 in Secunda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Secunda – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,117 in Secunda versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Secunda but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Secunda 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.

Expats usually find Secunda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.