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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $668 in Shenyang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,081 in Shenyang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,494 in Shenyang.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 117% more expensive than Shenyang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Shenyang is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$2.71 ¥18.32

378.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$20.70 ¥140

154.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$4.93 ¥33.36

91.28%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.56 ¥17.31

39.45%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.48 ¥3.26

235.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.34 ¥2.31

238.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$0.81 ¥5.50

288.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.08 ¥14.06

133.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.96 ¥13.23

-13.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.96 ¥13.25

34.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$0.99 ¥6.66

91.92%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$1.11 ¥7.49

128.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$9.98 ¥67.5

1.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$2.78 ¥18.77

198.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$12.03 ¥81.4

-3.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.39 ¥9.43

117.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.02 ¥6.89

67.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$0.86 ¥5.84

138.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.28 ¥8.65

60.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$0.47 ¥3.21

338.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$0.66 ¥4.47

228.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.40 ¥2.70

250.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.63 ¥4.24

77.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.07 ¥20.74

39.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$16.86 ¥114

-8.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$0.72 ¥4.90

131.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$0.90 ¥6.07

310.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.34 ¥2.30

11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$12.00 ¥81.1

58.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.28 ¥8.69

7.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.28 ¥1.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$3.58 ¥24.20

51.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.19 ¥8.05

7.56%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$18.3K ¥123.4K

3.99%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$19.0K ¥128.6K

23.36%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$66.4 ¥449

-38.18%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$14.83 ¥100

81.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$14.01 ¥94.7

111.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$21.11 ¥143

147.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$6.30 ¥42.58

316.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$5.00 ¥33.79

23.60%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$461 ¥3,116

-7.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$24.9K ¥168.2K

-56.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$48.45 ¥328

17.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$31.22 ¥211

43.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$75.6 ¥511

38.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$79.6 ¥538

33.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$231 ¥1,564

330.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$143 ¥970

333.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$518 ¥3,504

310.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$341 ¥2,305

267.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$2,294 ¥15.5K

70.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,315 ¥8,893

59.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$1,100 ¥7,441

0.62%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Shenyang: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $231 in Shenyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 1% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in Shenyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $201 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 117% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $668 including rent). Shenyang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 1% more on average, 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $231 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 59% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $461 in Shenyang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $668 in Shenyang versus $1,447 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 117% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.