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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $954 in Shakhty.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,471 in Shakhty.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $1,988 in Shakhty.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 54% more expensive than Shakhty, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Shakhty is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$9.33 ₽700

42.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$37.47 ₽2,812

43.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.83 ₽437

61.58%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.36 ₽177

52.12%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.13 ₽84.9

43.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.52 ₽38.68

115.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$1.38 ₽103

135.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$2.58 ₽193

80.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.12 ₽83.9

46.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$0.71 ₽53.2

273.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.43 ₽108

37.06%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$1.80 ₽135

41.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$10.78 ₽809

-7.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$4.78 ₽359

75.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$8.71 ₽654

35.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$1.82 ₽137

57.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.81 ₽136

-4.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$1.90 ₽143

4.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$2.79 ₽209

-26.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$0.78 ₽58.6

164.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$0.67 ₽50.4

240.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.41 ₽106

2.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.71 ₽52.9

53.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.96 ₽222

44.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$8.28 ₽621

77.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$0.99 ₽74.5

77.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$1.94 ₽146

84.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.54 ₽40.16

-29.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$1.89 ₽142

-26.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$0.33 ₽24.54

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$6.44 ₽483

-15.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$0.72 ₽54.1

86.11%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$34.3K ₽2.6M

-44.96%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$35.8K ₽2.7M

-35.12%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$111 ₽8,311

-63.62%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$5.97 ₽448

354.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$7.67 ₽575

284.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$35.98 ₽2,700

46.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$4.96 ₽372

24.60%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$323 ₽24.2K

36.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$6,945 ₽521.2K

54.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$70.3 ₽5,275

-18.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$45.28 ₽3,398

-0.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$114 ₽8,550

-9.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$109 ₽8,154

0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$452 ₽33.9K

121.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$306 ₽23.0K

106.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$759 ₽57.0K

182.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$502 ₽37.7K

149.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$2,111 ₽158.4K

77.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$1,639 ₽123.0K

45.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

$403 ₽30.2K

168.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

15.33

-26.03%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Last update for Shakhty: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $452 in Shakhty. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 168% 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: $54 in Mexico City vs $37 in Shakhty for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $198 per month, with Shakhty 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 Shakhty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Shakhty differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $954 including rent). Shakhty is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 168% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $452 in Shakhty. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $441 in Mexico City versus $323 in Shakhty. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shakhty – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $954 in Shakhty versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shakhty but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Shakhty 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 Shakhty gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.