Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Shiraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiraz: $551 a month against $1,561 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Shiraz
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Shiraz Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Shiraz

🇮🇷 Iran

$551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Shiraz

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Shiraz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $551 in Shiraz.

Mexico City $1,561
Shiraz $551

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $810 in Shiraz.

Mexico City $2,440
Shiraz $810

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $1,069 in Shiraz.

Mexico City $3,319
Shiraz $1,069

Living in Mexico City is roughly 183% more expensive than in Shiraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Shiraz is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$204

$4.62 $4.62

140.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$900

$13.16 $13.16

272.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$206

$3.92 $3.92

186.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 $1.03

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$69.0

$1.17 $1.17

221.37%

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

$1.65 MX$30.34

$0.66 $0.66

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.48

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$59.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$104

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$33.23

$0.67 $0.67

170.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.0

$0.41 $0.41

617.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.62

$1.90 $1.90

7.89%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$53.7

$1.22 $1.22

140.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$219

$2.35 $2.35

408.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$175

$2.95 $2.95

222.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$273

$9.81 $9.81

51.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$57.7

$1.12 $1.12

180.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.99

$1.54 $1.54

30.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$38.10

$0.89 $0.89

133.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.72

$0.55 $0.55

303.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.82

$0.55 $0.55

274.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.46

$0.55 $0.55

241.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.18

$0.51 $0.51

190.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.70

$0.17 $0.17

694.12%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.87 $0.87

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 $0.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$99.3

$3.04 $3.04

77.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$310

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.43

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$79.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.33

$0.11 $0.11

209.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$371

$3.09 $3.09

554.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$38.47

$0.38 $0.38

452.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.74

$0.21 $0.21

152.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$99.3

$3.44 $3.44

57.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.91

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

$21.7K MX$399.0K

$66.0K $66.0K

-67.06%

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

$24.8K MX$455.6K

$53.1K $53.1K

-53.29%

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

$63.0 MX$1,156

$23.64 $23.64

166.37%

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

$28.88 MX$530

$2.06 $2.06

1301.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$623

$17.07 $17.07

98.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,024

$18.96 $18.96

194.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$457

$13.51 $13.51

84.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$124

$1.98 $1.98

241.92%

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

$428 MX$7,854

$104 $104

311.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$218.0K

$2,421 $2,421

390.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,286

$22.81 $22.81

207.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$986

$18.49 $18.49

190.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,016

$95.2 $95.2

15.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,115

$56.0 $56.0

105.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.5K

$291 $291

265.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.3K

$217 $217

209.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.7K

$537 $537

343.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$23.1K

$321 $321

292.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$68.2K

$1,164 $1,164

219.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$36.3K

$503 $503

293.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.3K

$243 $243

310.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

24.3

-53.50%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Shiraz: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$671 42.4%

Shiraz

$217 40% 67.7% $454

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$327 20.7%

Shiraz

$103 18.9% 68.6% $224

Eating Out

Mexico City

$207 13.1%

Shiraz

$65 * 12.1% 68.4% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$157 9.9%

Shiraz

$87 16% 44.8% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Shiraz

$43 7.9% 66% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$69 4.4%

Shiraz

$23 4.2% 66.9% $46

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Shiraz

$5 0.9% 81.2% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Mexico City and $291 in Shiraz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 311% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $13.00 in Shiraz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $103 per month, with Shiraz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇷 Shiraz

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

14:03 2:03 PM

9 h 30 min ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,565,572

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Mexico City Shiraz 13,770 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Shiraz

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Shiraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Shiraz differ by about 183% in total monthly costs ($1,561 vs $551 including rent). Shiraz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 311% 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: $1,062 in Mexico City versus $291 in Shiraz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shiraz runs roughly 555% 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 $104 in Shiraz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $551 in Shiraz versus $1,561 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shiraz but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Shiraz 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 Shiraz 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 Shiraz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 183% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.