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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,141 in Shchelkovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,789 in Shchelkovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,436 in Shchelkovo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 27% more expensive than Shchelkovo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Shchelkovo is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$12.54 ₽909

3.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$57.4 ₽4,156

-8.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$6.28 ₽455

50.16%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$3.32 ₽241

7.53%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.45 ₽105

11.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.63 ₽45.57

82.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.41 ₽102

123.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$4.37 ₽317

11.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.28 ₽92.5

32.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.90 ₽65.2

193.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.77 ₽128

7.34%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$1.94 ₽141

30.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$13.01 ₽942

-22.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$6.04 ₽438

37.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$12.16 ₽881

-4.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.94 ₽140

56.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$2.13 ₽154

-19.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$2.31 ₽167

-11.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$4.05 ₽293

-49.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.03 ₽74.9

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$0.79 ₽57.3

174.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.69 ₽122

-17.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.82 ₽59.3

36.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.12 ₽226

37.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$8.76 ₽635

75.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.07 ₽77.8

56.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.42 ₽175

52.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.49 ₽35.85

-22.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$2.53 ₽183

-45.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.48 ₽34.92

-41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$8.11 ₽587

-33.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$0.81 ₽58.8

58.02%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$38.1K ₽2.8M

-50.23%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$37.3K ₽2.7M

-37.10%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$148 ₽10.7K

-72.22%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$8.16 ₽591

229.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$7.91 ₽573

275.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$34.92 ₽2,530

49.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$6.49 ₽470

-4.78%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$318 ₽23.0K

34.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$6,999 ₽507.1K

52.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$87.9 ₽6,372

-35.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$53.1 ₽3,851

-15.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$132 ₽9,573

-20.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$165 ₽12.0K

-35.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$437 ₽31.7K

127.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$308 ₽22.3K

101.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$752 ₽54.5K

182.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$509 ₽36.9K

146.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$2,513 ₽182.1K

55.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,590 ₽115.2K

31.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Shchelkovo: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $437 in Shchelkovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $57.0 in Shchelkovo. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $243, 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 27% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,141 including rent). Shchelkovo 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 $1,712 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $437 in Shchelkovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $318 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 $57.0 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,141 in Shchelkovo versus $1,447 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 27% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.