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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,205 in Shiga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,868 in Shiga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,530 in Shiga.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 20% more expensive than Shiga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Shiga is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$6.80 ¥1,087

90.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$34.05 ¥5,446

54.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$4.96 ¥793

90.12%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.70 ¥431

32.22%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.09 ¥175

47.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.76 ¥122

51.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.78 ¥445

13.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$4.23 ¥677

14.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.31 ¥209

29.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.41 ¥226

87.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$4.04 ¥646

-52.97%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.44 ¥390

4.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$10.61 ¥1,697

-5.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$6.46 ¥1,034

28.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$19.01 ¥3,040

-39.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$3.66 ¥585

-17.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$2.09 ¥334

-18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$2.61 ¥417

-21.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$4.34 ¥694

-52.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.66 ¥265

24.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.29 ¥207

68.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.32 ¥212

6.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.89 ¥142

25.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.97 ¥635

8.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$9.23 ¥1,477

66.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$2.11 ¥338

-20.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.97 ¥475

24.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.67 ¥266

-77.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$55.4 ¥8,858

-65.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$4.56 ¥730

-69.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$3.32 ¥531

-91.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$23.32 ¥3,730

-76.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.16 ¥185

10.34%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

-16.68%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$17.0K ¥2.7M

37.72%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$134 ¥21.5K

-69.45%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$27.40 ¥4,382

-1.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$30.82 ¥4,929

-3.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$56.2 ¥8,987

-6.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$13.92 ¥2,227

88.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$12.63 ¥2,020

-51.07%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$69.5 ¥11.1K

514.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$10.2K ¥1.6M

4.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$44.76 ¥7,159

26.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$29.23 ¥4,674

53.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$66.6 ¥10.7K

56.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$96.4 ¥15.4K

9.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$466 ¥74.5K

113.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$324 ¥51.9K

91.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$854 ¥136.5K

149.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$651 ¥104.2K

92.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$4,201 ¥671.9K

-7.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$2,670 ¥427.0K

-21.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$1,176 ¥188.1K

-5.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

1.81

526.52%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Shiga: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $466 in Shiga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shiga pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Shiga. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $296, with Mexico City 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 Shiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Shiga differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,205 including rent). Shiga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Shiga earns 6% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Mexico City versus $466 in Shiga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shiga runs roughly 191% 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 $69.5 in Shiga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,205 in Shiga versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shiga but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Shiga 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Shiga are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Shiga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.