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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $658 in Shenyang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,062 in Shenyang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,465 in Shenyang.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 124% more expensive than in Shenyang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Shenyang is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$2.76 ¥18.66

376.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$20.70 ¥140

158.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$4.93 ¥33.25

89.25%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.65 ¥17.90

39.62%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.49 ¥3.30

226.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.38 ¥2.54

194.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$0.81 ¥5.49

287.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.13 ¥14.40

127.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.96 ¥13.20

-15.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.91 ¥12.87

41.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.04 ¥6.99

83.65%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.11 ¥7.49

133.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$9.90 ¥66.8

-0.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$2.92 ¥19.68

188.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$12.03 ¥81.2

-0.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.44 ¥9.75

104.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.03 ¥6.94

68.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$0.83 ¥5.60

145.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.22 ¥8.21

68.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.50 ¥3.38

330.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.65 ¥4.38

247.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.43 ¥2.92

223.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.62 ¥4.17

80.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$3.05 ¥20.60

38.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$16.94 ¥114

3.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$0.71 ¥4.80

140.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$0.97 ¥6.52

274.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.36 ¥2.45

-2.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$11.91 ¥80.4

62.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.23 ¥8.29

12.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.26 ¥1.74

7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$3.52 ¥23.74

50.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.19 ¥8.05

14.29%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$17.8K ¥120.4K

7.07%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$18.6K ¥125.8K

26.70%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$66.5 ¥449

-39.03%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$14.79 ¥99.9

85.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$13.85 ¥93.5

119.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$21.13 ¥143

147.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$6.16 ¥41.57

329.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$4.98 ¥33.60

24.30%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$462 ¥3,117

-7.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$24.4K ¥164.7K

-55.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$49.34 ¥333

18.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$31.93 ¥216

39.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$72.9 ¥492

42.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$78.2 ¥528

39.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$230 ¥1,555

340.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$144 ¥973

332.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$513 ¥3,464

313.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$340 ¥2,294

260.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,253 ¥15.2K

68.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,305 ¥8,807

61.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$959 ¥6,475

9.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.27

115.18%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Shenyang: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $230 in Shenyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in Shenyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $202 per month, with Shenyang 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 Shenyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Shenyang differ by about 124% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $658 including rent). Shenyang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $230 in Shenyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shenyang runs roughly 62% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $462 in Shenyang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $658 in Shenyang versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shenyang but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Shenyang 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 Shenyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.