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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $449 in Shillong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $696 in Shillong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $944 in Shillong.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 227% more expensive than Shillong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Shillong is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$1.39 ₹133

848.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$10.66 ₹1,020

405.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.56 ₹436

106.58%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$1.18 ₹113

200.85%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.36 ₹34.58

350.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.12 ₹11.42

825.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.43 ₹137

118.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.29 ₹315

40.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$0.65 ₹62.1

161.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.37 ₹34.96

635.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$0.52 ₹49.80

267.31%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$0.85 ₹81.6

198.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$4.41 ₹422

127.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.32 ₹318

143.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.85 ₹177

60.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$0.75 ₹72.2

141.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$0.92 ₹88.0

118.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$0.60 ₹57.6

238.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$0.31 ₹29.74

583.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$0.36 ₹34.30

530.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.37 ₹35.25

278.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.17 ₹15.88

564.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.08 ₹391

4.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$4.63 ₹443

236.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.53 ₹146

15.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.81 ₹268

28.11%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.21 ₹403

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.30 ₹28.91

26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$8.88 ₹850

115.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.76 ₹73.1

81.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$1.48 ₹141

268.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.15 ₹111

13.04%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

33.96%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$18.0K ₹1.7M

28.59%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$39.75 ₹3,804

2.79%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$3.31 ₹317

709.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$5.70 ₹546

425.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$4.59 ₹439

1033.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$5.93 ₹568

352.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$2.98 ₹286

111.41%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$32.18 ₹3,080

1255.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$1,908 ₹182.6K

446.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$25.38 ₹2,429

123.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$35.62 ₹3,409

24.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$45.79 ₹4,381

124.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$42.26 ₹4,044

149.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$254 ₹24.3K

302.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$158 ₹15.1K

299.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$466 ₹44.6K

358.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$319 ₹30.5K

289.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$438 ₹41.9K

154.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

7.38

53.66%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Shillong: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $254 in Shillong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 155% 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 $11.00 in Shillong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $94.0 per month, with Shillong 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 Shillong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Shillong differ by about 227% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $449 including rent). Shillong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 155% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $254 in Shillong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shillong runs roughly 116% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $32.18 in Shillong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $449 in Shillong versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shillong but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Shillong 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 Shillong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 227% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.