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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $969 in Shakhty.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,480 in Shakhty.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,991 in Shakhty.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 49% more expensive than Shakhty, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Shakhty is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$9.38 ₽675

38.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$918

$37.81 ₽2,718

39.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$165

$5.55 ₽399

69.91%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$62.3

$2.30 ₽165

55.22%

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

$1.61 MX$28.02

$1.12 ₽80.5

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$20.14

$0.52 ₽37.29

121.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$1.40 ₽101

125.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$84.8

$2.47 ₽177

96.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.66

$1.10 ₽79.1

54.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.99

$0.71 ₽51.0

271.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.22

$1.36 ₽98.0

39.71%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.35

$1.72 ₽124

47.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$10.80 ₽777

-6.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.84 ₽348

71.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$202

$9.02 ₽648

28.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$1.81 ₽130

67.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.85

$1.90 ₽137

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.76

$1.98 ₽142

3.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.95

$2.75 ₽197

-25.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$36.03

$0.84 ₽60.3

145.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.87

$0.66 ₽47.75

228.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.49

$1.39 ₽100

0.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.58

$0.72 ₽51.9

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.9

$2.95 ₽212

45.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$269

$8.02 ₽576

92.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$29.23

$0.93 ₽67.0

79.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$64.3

$1.96 ₽141

88.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.66

$0.49 ₽34.99

-22.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$333

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.10

$1.88 ₽135

-26.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.82

$0.33 ₽23.39

-15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.5

$6.28 ₽452

-13.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.35

$0.73 ₽52.6

75.34%

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

$19.0K MX$331.3K

$34.2K ₽2.5M

-44.49%

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

$23.5K MX$409.5K

$36.1K ₽2.6M

-34.98%

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

$41.02 MX$716

$111 ₽7,980

-63.04%

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

$26.92 MX$470

$5.79 ₽416

364.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$518

$7.85 ₽564

278.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$913

$35.65 ₽2,563

46.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$108

$5.16 ₽371

19.77%

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

$427 MX$7,454

$326 ₽23.4K

31.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.7K

$6,863 ₽493.5K

55.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$992

$69.4 ₽4,988

-18.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$782

$44.27 ₽3,183

1.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,824

$114 ₽8,164

-7.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,849

$108 ₽7,740

-1.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.4K

$452 ₽32.5K

120.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.8K

$303 ₽21.8K

105.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$37.1K

$766 ₽55.1K

177.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.9K

$517 ₽37.2K

142.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.1K

$2,625 ₽188.7K

48.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.6K

$1,786 ₽128.4K

17.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.3K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Shakhty: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $452 in Shakhty. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in Shakhty for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $199 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 49% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $969 including rent). Shakhty is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,453 in Shakhty to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Mexico City versus $452 in Shakhty. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $326 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 $38.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $969 in Shakhty versus $1,447 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 49% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.