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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,241 in Shiga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,929 in Shiga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,618 in Shiga.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 34% more expensive than in Shiga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Shiga is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$6.46 ¥1,010

84.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$31.75 ¥4,959

62.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$5.04 ¥788

126.39%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$3.02 ¥472

32.12%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.31 ¥205

26.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.71 ¥110

87.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$2.83 ¥442

22.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$3.63 ¥566

62.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.32 ¥205

42.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.29 ¥201

151.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$3.97 ¥619

-45.59%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.10 ¥329

38.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$9.56 ¥1,493

34.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$9.37 ¥1,463

7.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$18.74 ¥2,926

-15.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$3.55 ¥555

-7.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.95 ¥305

3.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$2.05 ¥320

7.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$4.12 ¥643

-42.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$1.55 ¥243

32.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.16 ¥181

63.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.35 ¥210

19.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.80 ¥125

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$3.91 ¥611

39.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$9.49 ¥1,482

85.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.93 ¥302

6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$3.20 ¥500

46.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$1.18 ¥185

-71.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$58.5 ¥9,138

-64.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$3.84 ¥599

-45.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$3.17 ¥495

-82.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$22.08 ¥3,448

-73.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.11 ¥174

45.05%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$21.8K ¥3.4M

4.57%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$15.2K ¥2.4M

76.38%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$143 ¥22.3K

-54.35%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$25.02 ¥3,908

20.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$19.05 ¥2,975

95.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$51.8 ¥8,091

15.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$12.30 ¥1,921

-42.76%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$535 ¥83.5K

-13.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

0.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$50.1 ¥7,826

51.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$30.73 ¥4,799

82.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$74.1 ¥11.6K

51.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$94.2 ¥14.7K

27.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$506 ¥79.0K

117.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$338 ¥52.8K

113.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$1,045 ¥163.2K

142.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$744 ¥116.3K

73.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$3,944 ¥615.9K

1.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$1,670 ¥260.8K

25.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$1,227 ¥191.6K

-15.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.21

411.31%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Shiga: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $506 in Shiga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shiga pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $32.00 in Shiga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $297 per month, with Shiga 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 Shiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Shiga differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,241 including rent). Shiga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Shiga. 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $506 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 181% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $535 in Shiga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,241 in Shiga versus $1,660 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 34% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.