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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $658 in Shijiazhuang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $957 in Shijiazhuang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,257 in Shijiazhuang.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 121% more expensive than in Shijiazhuang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Shijiazhuang is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$1.64 ¥11.10

696.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$17.57 ¥119

205.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.59 ¥37.74

73.17%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.06 ¥20.67

22.22%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.42 ¥2.83

285.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.23 ¥1.54

404.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$0.81 ¥5.46

298.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$1.37 ¥9.27

245.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.19 ¥8.07

38.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.09 ¥7.35

152.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$0.67 ¥4.55

179.10%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.20 ¥8.08

108.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$15.55 ¥105

-34.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$2.46 ¥16.62

235.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$9.45 ¥63.8

25.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.27 ¥8.60

137.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.10 ¥7.41

64.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$0.73 ¥4.94

173.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.10 ¥7.41

81.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.54 ¥3.65

285.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.54 ¥3.62

320.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.67 ¥4.51

117.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.43 ¥2.91

151.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.58 ¥24.17

21.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$3.60 ¥24.30

371.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$0.73 ¥4.92

136.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$0.68 ¥4.63

426.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.27 ¥1.81

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$16.68 ¥113

12.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.08 ¥7.32

23.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.32 ¥2.14

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$3.29 ¥22.24

59.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.13 ¥7.62

18.58%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$16.4K ¥110.9K

18.29%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$16.4K ¥110.5K

45.74%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$85.1 ¥575

-52.21%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$4.00 ¥27.02

571.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$6.12 ¥41.34

398.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$12.93 ¥87.4

308.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$13.98 ¥94.5

90.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$5.25 ¥35.44

24.00%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$383 ¥2,588

11.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$4,818 ¥32.6K

117.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$40.20 ¥272

42.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$23.99 ¥162

89.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$70.3 ¥475

47.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$49.98 ¥338

115.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$282 ¥1,906

255.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$189 ¥1,277

229.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$384 ¥2,592

449.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$258 ¥1,740

372.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,440 ¥16.5K

59.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,702 ¥11.5K

19.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$792 ¥5,352

31.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.42

231.58%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Shijiazhuang: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $282 in Shijiazhuang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 31% 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 $18.00 in Shijiazhuang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $162 per month, with Shijiazhuang 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 Shijiazhuang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Shijiazhuang differ by about 121% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $658 including rent). Shijiazhuang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 31% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $282 in Shijiazhuang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shijiazhuang runs roughly 12% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $383 in Shijiazhuang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $658 in Shijiazhuang versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shijiazhuang but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Shijiazhuang 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 Shijiazhuang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.