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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $890 in Secunda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,354 in Secunda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,818 in Secunda.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 64% more expensive than in Secunda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Secunda is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$5.47 R 90.3

138.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$27.89 R 460

92.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.80 R 79.3

101.67%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.04 R 33.75

83.33%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.75 R 12.32

116.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.43 R 7.17

169.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.00 R 16.45

223.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$1.26 R 20.76

276.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.20 R 19.84

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.91 R 15.03

202.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.61 R 26.64

16.15%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.39 R 39.51

4.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$7.90 R 130

29.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.69 R 77.5

75.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$6.29 R 104

87.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.67 R 27.62

80.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.61 R 26.64

12.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.68 R 27.66

19.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.71 R 28.16

16.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.37 R 22.65

51.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.21 R 19.95

87.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.13 R 18.59

29.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.11 R 18.31

-2.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.74 R 45.19

58.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$5.24 R 86.5

224.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.51 R 24.99

14.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.86 R 30.77

92.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.61 R 26.59

-75.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.39 R 22.86

-4.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.37 R 22.64

-79.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$3.09 R 51.0

69.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.31 R 21.63

2.29%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$19.0K R 312.8K

2.41%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$26.1K R 430.6K

-8.66%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$85.6 R 1,412

-52.46%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$37.49 R 619

-28.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$37.67 R 622

-19.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$16.59 R 274

218.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$11.07 R 183

140.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$6.68 R 110

-2.54%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$169 R 2,782

153.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$4,407 R 72.7K

138.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$51.5 R 850

11.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$31.66 R 523

43.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$87.3 R 1,441

19.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$88.2 R 1,456

22.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$337 R 5,560

197.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$303 R 4,994

105.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$678 R 11.2K

210.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$467 R 7,711

160.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$833 R 13.7K

366.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$768 R 12.7K

164.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,486 R 24.5K

-30.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.69

-2.99%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Secunda: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $337 in Secunda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Secunda pays 43% 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 $28.00 in Secunda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $183 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 64% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $890 including rent). Secunda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 43% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $337 in Secunda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $169 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 $28.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $890 in Secunda versus $1,456 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 64% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.