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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,160 in Shchelkovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,785 in Shchelkovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,411 in Shchelkovo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 28% more expensive than Shchelkovo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Shchelkovo is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$226

$12.49 ₽936

3.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$922

$58.6 ₽4,393

-9.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$169

$6.18 ₽463

57.28%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$3.15 ₽236

19.05%

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

$1.57 MX$27.27

$1.44 ₽108

9.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.62

$0.62 ₽46.35

82.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.3

$1.41 ₽106

125.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.0

$4.47 ₽335

4.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.18

$1.33 ₽99.3

21.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.04

$0.85 ₽63.5

218.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.66

$1.74 ₽130

8.05%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.60

$1.91 ₽143

31.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$175

$12.97 ₽972

-22.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.07 ₽455

36.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$208

$12.25 ₽918

-2.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.71

$1.97 ₽147

45.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.41

$2.03 ₽152

-13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.23

$2.36 ₽177

-11.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.23

$4.04 ₽303

-51.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.53

$1.03 ₽77.1

109.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.89

$0.81 ₽60.3

169.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$1.63 ₽122

-14.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.55

$0.74 ₽55.8

51.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.0

$3.25 ₽243

29.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$248

$8.10 ₽607

75.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.64

$1.07 ₽80.3

64.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.0

$2.32 ₽174

58.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.70

$0.50 ₽37.21

-22.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$324

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$2.48 ₽186

-43.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.28

$0.45 ₽33.59

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.2

$8.26 ₽619

-34.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.47

$0.81 ₽61.0

66.67%

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

$18.9K MX$328.2K

$38.7K ₽2.9M

-51.15%

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

$23.2K MX$402.4K

$36.6K ₽2.7M

-36.74%

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

$40.82 MX$710

$150 ₽11.2K

-72.79%

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

$27.50 MX$478

$7.83 ₽587

251.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$528

$8.10 ₽607

275.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$929

$34.86 ₽2,612

53.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$457

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

$6.41 ₽480

-2.18%

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

$436 MX$7,580

$323 ₽24.2K

34.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.9K

$6,919 ₽518.5K

51.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$987

$87.0 ₽6,518

-34.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$778

$53.7 ₽4,020

-16.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,787

$131 ₽9,805

-21.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,875

$163 ₽12.2K

-33.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.4K

$443 ₽33.2K

125.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.8K

$303 ₽22.7K

104.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.1K

$772 ₽57.8K

176.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.5K

$511 ₽38.3K

141.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.2K

$1,944 ₽145.7K

98.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.5K

$1,603 ₽120.1K

45.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

24.39

-53.51%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Shchelkovo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $443 in Shchelkovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53 in Mexico City vs $59 in Shchelkovo. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $240, with Shchelkovo cheaper for home cooking.

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 Shchelkovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Shchelkovo differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,160 including rent). Shchelkovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,740 in Shchelkovo 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $443 in Shchelkovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $323 in Shchelkovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shchelkovo – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,160 in Shchelkovo versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shchelkovo but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Shchelkovo 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 Shchelkovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.