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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,106 in Shiso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,996 in Shiso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,887 in Shiso.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 33% more expensive than Shiso, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Shiso is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.17 ¥1,306

61.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$67.6 ¥10.8K

-20.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.40 ¥1,024

47.19%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.62 ¥579

-1.93%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.86 ¥137

88.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.70 ¥112

58.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.56 ¥409

21.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.14 ¥503

47.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.60 ¥256

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$2.97 ¥475

-8.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$4.84 ¥774

-60.54%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.23 ¥356

13.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$10.22 ¥1,635

-1.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.23 ¥997

29.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$27.03 ¥4,324

-57.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$5.36 ¥857

-44.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$2.63 ¥420

-31.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$3.95 ¥632

-49.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$6.05 ¥968

-66.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$4.48 ¥717

-52.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$2.59 ¥415

-12.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.33 ¥212

5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.84 ¥134

34.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.28 ¥684

-0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$7.40 ¥1,184

110.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.86 ¥298

-5.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.26 ¥361

59.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.34 ¥215

-71.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$33.38 ¥5,340

-42.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$3.50 ¥560

-60.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$2.89 ¥463

-90.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$21.17 ¥3,385

-74.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.22 ¥196

6.56%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

-20.81%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$17.1K ¥2.7M

35.35%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$145 ¥23.2K

-71.78%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$67.3 ¥10.8K

-60.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$13.41 ¥2,145

123.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$37.17 ¥5,945

39.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$13.73 ¥2,196

95.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.57 ¥732

37.86%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$279 ¥44.5K

56.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$13.3K ¥2.1M

-21.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$9.82 ¥1,571

476.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$28.89 ¥4,621

53.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$33.14 ¥5,300

210.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$101 ¥16.1K

4.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$459 ¥73.4K

122.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$167 ¥26.8K

276.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$881 ¥141.0K

142.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$668 ¥106.9K

85.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$4,211 ¥673.6K

-7.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,988 ¥318.0K

3.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

1.78

537.08%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Shiso: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $459 in Shiso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $68.0 in Shiso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $368 per month, with Mexico City 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 Shiso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Shiso differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,106 including rent). Shiso is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,658 in Shiso to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $459 in Shiso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shiso runs roughly 74% 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 $279 in Shiso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,106 in Shiso versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shiso but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Shiso 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 Shiso 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 Shiso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.