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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,166 in Shchelkovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,808 in Shchelkovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,450 in Shchelkovo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 26% more expensive than in Shchelkovo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Shchelkovo is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$12.79 ₽1,018

2.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$58.0 ₽4,612

-7.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$6.19 ₽493

50.73%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$3.29 ₽262

12.46%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.42 ₽113

12.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.68 ₽54.2

64.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.35 ₽108

132.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$4.55 ₽362

6.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.30 ₽103

26.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.83 ₽66.0

226.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.77 ₽141

7.91%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.92 ₽153

34.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$13.02 ₽1,036

-24.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$5.85 ₽466

44.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$11.92 ₽949

0.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.93 ₽153

52.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$2.10 ₽167

-17.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.34 ₽186

-12.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$3.98 ₽317

-48.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.04 ₽82.6

106.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.79 ₽62.6

186.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.64 ₽130

-15.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.75 ₽59.8

49.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$3.25 ₽259

29.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$7.98 ₽635

119.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.08 ₽86.2

58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.35 ₽187

54.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.50 ₽39.48

-30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$2.57 ₽205

-46.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.48 ₽38.28

-41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$8.08 ₽643

-34.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$0.79 ₽63.1

72.15%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$37.9K ₽3.0M

-49.58%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$37.1K ₽3.0M

-36.33%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$149 ₽11.8K

-72.74%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$8.22 ₽654

233.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$7.87 ₽627

286.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$35.26 ₽2,807

48.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.50 ₽518

-4.77%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$324 ₽25.8K

31.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$7,051 ₽561.2K

52.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$86.6 ₽6,889

-32.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$52.5 ₽4,182

-15.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$134 ₽10.6K

-22.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$160 ₽12.8K

-32.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$450 ₽35.8K

125.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$307 ₽24.5K

102.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$767 ₽61.1K

176.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$504 ₽40.1K

142.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,203 ₽175.3K

72.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,355 ₽107.8K

55.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Shchelkovo: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $450 in Shchelkovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $58.0 in Shchelkovo. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $238, 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 26% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,166 including rent). Shchelkovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,749 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $450 in Shchelkovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $324 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 $58.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,166 in Shchelkovo versus $1,472 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 26% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.