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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $891 in Secunda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,346 in Secunda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,802 in Secunda.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 65% more expensive than Secunda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Secunda is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$5.56 R 90.9

137.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$27.50 R 450

96.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.78 R 78.2

97.07%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.03 R 33.12

74.88%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.74 R 12.16

118.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.43 R 7.09

158.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.03 R 16.86

202.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$1.25 R 20.41

270.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.20 R 19.55

41.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.99 R 16.18

174.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.58 R 25.84

20.89%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.38 R 38.94

6.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.73 R 126

29.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.65 R 76.0

73.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.59 R 108

76.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.62 R 26.47

83.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.53 R 25.02

18.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.67 R 27.33

20.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.62 R 26.47

25.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.32 R 21.59

60.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.22 R 20.01

86.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.14 R 18.59

22.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$1.12 R 18.29

0.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$2.84 R 46.47

50.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$5.18 R 84.7

200.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.58 R 25.85

11.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.87 R 30.64

92.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.62 R 26.55

-76.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.41 R 23.07

-2.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$1.32 R 21.56

-78.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$3.05 R 49.92

78.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.27 R 20.78

2.36%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$19.1K R 311.7K

-1.99%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$25.6K R 418.5K

-9.64%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$84.1 R 1,374

-51.40%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$36.75 R 601

-27.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$38.49 R 629

-22.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$16.56 R 271

214.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$11.27 R 184

138.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.67 R 109

-5.55%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$165 R 2,699

164.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$4,419 R 72.2K

135.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$49.76 R 814

13.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$32.63 R 533

36.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$86.7 R 1,418

18.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$88.1 R 1,439

19.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$334 R 5,466

205.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$310 R 5,073

103.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$680 R 11.1K

214.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$481 R 7,862

158.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$1,024 R 16.7K

281.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$633 R 10.4K

225.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,486 R 24.3K

-24.96%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Secunda: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $334 in Secunda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Secunda pays 33% 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 $288 vs $182 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 65% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $891 including rent). Secunda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Secunda earns 33% less. 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $334 in Secunda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $165 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 $891 in Secunda versus $1,467 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 65% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.