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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,280 in Shizuoka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,942 in Shizuoka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,605 in Shizuoka.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 14% more expensive than in Shizuoka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Shizuoka is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$6.79 ¥1,103

92.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$34.49 ¥5,605

55.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$5.06 ¥823

91.30%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$3.49 ¥568

7.16%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$1.06 ¥172

52.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.77 ¥125

50.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$2.11 ¥343

53.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$2.09 ¥340

126.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.62 ¥263

1.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$1.54 ¥250

78.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$4.25 ¥690

-56.00%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$1.58 ¥257

58.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$10.63 ¥1,727

-4.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$6.65 ¥1,081

24.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$15.53 ¥2,525

-23.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$5.44 ¥885

-44.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$2.51 ¥408

-27.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$3.92 ¥637

-48.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$4.14 ¥672

-51.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$2.90 ¥471

-28.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$2.55 ¥415

-10.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$1.54 ¥250

-5.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$1.38 ¥224

-21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$4.78 ¥776

-9.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$8.82 ¥1,434

92.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$2.05 ¥333

-15.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$3.40 ¥553

5.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$2.05 ¥333

-80.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$22.79 ¥3,704

-17.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$4.19 ¥680

-68.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$2.02 ¥328

-86.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$20.50 ¥3,332

-74.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.20 ¥195

11.67%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$27.8K ¥4.5M

-30.14%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$17.6K ¥2.9M

35.27%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$230 ¥37.4K

-82.32%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$16.69 ¥2,713

60.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$39.95 ¥6,492

-23.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$96.8 ¥15.7K

-45.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$14.10 ¥2,291

89.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$11.65 ¥1,894

-44.12%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$242 ¥39.3K

77.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

-21.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$45.11 ¥7,332

26.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$29.19 ¥4,744

55.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$68.2 ¥11.1K

52.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$97.4 ¥15.8K

10.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$383 ¥62.2K

162.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$280 ¥45.5K

122.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$659 ¥107.1K

220.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$569 ¥92.5K

113.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$4,382 ¥712.2K

-11.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$2,093 ¥340.2K

-2.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$2,126 ¥345.5K

-51.18%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Shizuoka: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $383 in Shizuoka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shizuoka pays 105% 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 $292 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 14% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,280 including rent). Shizuoka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 105% lower in Shizuoka. 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $383 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 22% 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 $242 in Shizuoka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,280 in Shizuoka versus $1,456 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 14% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.