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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,028 in Shiso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,916 in Shiso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,804 in Shiso.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 60% more expensive than in Shiso, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Shiso is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$7.99 ¥1,249

51.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$66.2 ¥10.3K

-21.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$6.45 ¥1,007

68.99%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$3.55 ¥554

14.08%

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

$1.72 MX$28.99

$0.86 ¥134

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.28

$0.71 ¥110

94.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$2.61 ¥408

32.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$3.09 ¥482

88.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.32

$1.53 ¥239

20.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$2.90 ¥454

11.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.24

$4.90 ¥766

-57.35%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.16

$2.18 ¥341

33.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$10.25 ¥1,601

21.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$6.25 ¥977

61.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$26.41 ¥4,125

-39.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$5.50 ¥858

-39.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.94

$2.68 ¥419

-20.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.02

$4.08 ¥638

-46.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.36

$5.73 ¥896

-57.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.99

$4.29 ¥671

-48.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.19

$2.58 ¥403

-26.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.30

$1.40 ¥218

15.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.81

$0.81 ¥127

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$4.06 ¥635

33.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$7.26 ¥1,135

142.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.95

$1.90 ¥297

8.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$2.27 ¥355

109.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.74

$1.37 ¥213

-75.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$32.74 ¥5,115

-34.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.48

$3.48 ¥544

-41.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$2.92 ¥456

-80.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$20.83 ¥3,255

-71.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.30

$1.21 ¥190

33.88%

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

$23.0K ¥3.6M

-0.84%

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

$26.7K MX$450.6K

$17.3K ¥2.7M

53.68%

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

$65.2 MX$1,102

$146 ¥22.8K

-55.29%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$23.62 ¥3,689

26.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$13.37 ¥2,089

173.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$36.94 ¥5,771

65.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$14.09 ¥2,201

89.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$4.77 ¥745

43.61%

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

$453 MX$7,662

$285 ¥44.5K

59.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$13.4K ¥2.1M

-0.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$9.87 ¥1,541

659.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$934

$29.61 ¥4,626

86.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$33.58 ¥5,246

238.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$101 ¥15.8K

20.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$471 ¥73.5K

140.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$166 ¥25.9K

329.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.4K

$857 ¥133.9K

199.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$662 ¥103.4K

98.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$4,279 ¥668.4K

-6.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$2,109 ¥329.4K

-0.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

1.78

534.83%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Shiso: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $471 in Shiso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $66.0 in Shiso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $364 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 60% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,028 including rent). Shiso is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,469 in Mexico City and $1,542 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $471 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 52% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $285 in Shiso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,028 in Shiso versus $1,646 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 60% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.