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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $982 in Shakhty.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,554 in Shakhty.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,125 in Shakhty.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 69% more expensive than in Shakhty, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Shakhty is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$11.08 ₽936

7.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$35.37 ₽2,989

45.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$6.21 ₽525

83.74%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$2.68 ₽226

48.88%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.09 ₽91.7

52.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.55 ₽46.62

141.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$1.80 ₽152

92.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$2.81 ₽237

109.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.08 ₽91.6

74.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$0.75 ₽63.2

333.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.36 ₽115

58.82%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$1.56 ₽132

85.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$10.89 ₽921

18.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$5.18 ₽438

94.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$10.37 ₽876

52.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$1.69 ₽143

94.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.69 ₽143

18.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$1.73 ₽147

27.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$2.73 ₽231

-13.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$0.73 ₽62.1

180.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$0.58 ₽48.67

227.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.29 ₽109

24.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.72 ₽61.1

94.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$2.73 ₽231

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$7.64 ₽646

131.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.03 ₽87.0

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$1.99 ₽168

135.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$0.53 ₽45.12

-35.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$2.25 ₽191

-6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$0.33 ₽27.99

69.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$5.37 ₽454

8.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$0.76 ₽64.5

111.84%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$32.2K ₽2.7M

-29.08%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$32.2K ₽2.7M

-16.98%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$115 ₽9,734

-43.41%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$5.66 ₽478

431.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$8.00 ₽676

364.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$34.30 ₽2,899

74.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

$23.54 ₽1,989

12.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$5.98 ₽505

17.73%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$311 ₽26.3K

49.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$6,190 ₽523.2K

114.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$68.7 ₽5,804

10.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$44.54 ₽3,764

25.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$115 ₽9,732

-2.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$97.0 ₽8,197

24.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$462 ₽39.1K

138.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$304 ₽25.7K

137.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$770 ₽65.1K

228.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$537 ₽45.4K

140.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$2,273 ₽192.1K

75.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$1,473 ₽124.5K

41.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-46.19%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Shakhty: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $462 in Shakhty. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $35.00 in Shakhty for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $200 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 69% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $982 including rent). Shakhty is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,473 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $462 in Shakhty. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $311 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 $35.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $982 in Shakhty versus $1,660 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 69% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.