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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,307 in Shizuoka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,995 in Shizuoka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,682 in Shizuoka.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 12% more expensive than Shizuoka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Shizuoka is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.74 ¥1,078

95.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$34.42 ¥5,506

56.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.14 ¥823

83.27%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.51 ¥562

1.14%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.05 ¥168

54.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.77 ¥124

44.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.11 ¥337

47.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.05 ¥328

125.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.59 ¥255

6.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.52 ¥243

78.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$4.21 ¥673

-54.63%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.52 ¥243

67.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$10.95 ¥1,751

-8.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.43 ¥1,029

25.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$15.53 ¥2,485

-25.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$5.40 ¥863

-45.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$2.48 ¥397

-27.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$3.93 ¥628

-48.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$4.15 ¥663

-51.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$2.94 ¥470

-27.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$2.49 ¥399

-8.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.54 ¥246

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$1.37 ¥219

-17.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.78 ¥764

-10.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$8.87 ¥1,419

75.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.06 ¥330

-14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$3.57 ¥571

0.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$2.02 ¥324

-81.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$23.03 ¥3,684

-16.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$4.11 ¥658

-66.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$2.02 ¥323

-86.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$20.50 ¥3,279

-73.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.20 ¥192

8.33%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$27.6K ¥4.4M

-32.26%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$17.7K ¥2.8M

30.84%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$235 ¥37.6K

-82.62%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$17.16 ¥2,744

56.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$40.20 ¥6,430

-25.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$97.9 ¥15.7K

-46.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$14.06 ¥2,249

90.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$11.82 ¥1,890

-46.70%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$246 ¥39.3K

77.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$13.6K ¥2.2M

-23.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$45.31 ¥7,248

25.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$30.03 ¥4,804

47.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$68.6 ¥11.0K

50.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$96.1 ¥15.4K

9.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$378 ¥60.5K

170.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$282 ¥45.1K

123.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$671 ¥107.3K

218.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$571 ¥91.4K

117.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$6,015 ¥962.0K

-35.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$4,151 ¥664.0K

-50.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$2,196 ¥351.3K

-49.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

1034.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Shizuoka: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $378 in Shizuoka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shizuoka pays 97% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Shizuoka. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $316, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 Shizuoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Shizuoka differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,307 including rent). Shizuoka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Shizuoka earns 97% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $378 in Shizuoka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shizuoka runs roughly 20% 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 $246 in Shizuoka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,307 in Shizuoka versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shizuoka but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Shizuoka 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 Shizuoka 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 Shizuoka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.