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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,098 in Shiso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,967 in Shiso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,836 in Shiso.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Shiso is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$8.03 ¥1,304

62.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$67.2 ¥10.9K

-20.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$6.27 ¥1,018

54.39%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.61 ¥587

3.60%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.90 ¥146

80.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.72 ¥117

61.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.64 ¥429

22.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.15 ¥512

50.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.52 ¥246

8.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$2.97 ¥482

-7.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$4.87 ¥792

-61.60%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.30 ¥374

8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$9.99 ¥1,623

2.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.30 ¥1,023

30.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$26.58 ¥4,319

-55.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$5.33 ¥866

-43.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$2.55 ¥414

-29.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$4.09 ¥665

-51.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$5.87 ¥953

-65.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$4.44 ¥721

-53.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$2.61 ¥424

-13.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.32 ¥215

10.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.83 ¥135

30.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.11 ¥667

5.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$7.24 ¥1,176

134.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.91 ¥311

-9.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.16 ¥350

65.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.30 ¥211

-70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$33.01 ¥5,363

-43.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$3.53 ¥573

-62.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$2.88 ¥469

-90.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$20.97 ¥3,406

-74.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.28 ¥208

4.69%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

-17.49%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$17.1K ¥2.8M

39.62%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$146 ¥23.6K

-72.03%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$65.6 ¥10.7K

-59.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$13.40 ¥2,177

127.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$37.33 ¥6,065

41.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$13.76 ¥2,235

93.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$4.62 ¥751

40.91%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$279 ¥45.3K

53.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$13.4K ¥2.2M

-21.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$10.05 ¥1,633

469.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$29.71 ¥4,827

53.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$33.25 ¥5,403

212.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$102 ¥16.6K

5.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$473 ¥76.8K

112.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$165 ¥26.9K

276.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$883 ¥143.5K

138.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$670 ¥108.8K

81.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$4,185 ¥680.0K

-7.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$2,075 ¥337.1K

-2.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Shiso: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $473 in Shiso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $67.0 in Shiso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $365 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 ($1,456 vs $1,098 including rent). Shiso is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,647 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $473 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 77% 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 $279 in Shiso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,098 in Shiso versus $1,456 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.