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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,164 in Shizuoka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,830 in Shizuoka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,496 in Shizuoka.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 43% more expensive than in Shizuoka, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Shizuoka is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$6.54 ¥1,026

82.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$32.43 ¥5,087

59.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$5.24 ¥822

117.75%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$2.97 ¥465

34.34%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$1.00 ¥157

66.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$0.72 ¥112

84.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$2.83 ¥444

22.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$4.01 ¥628

47.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.53 ¥241

22.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$1.33 ¥209

144.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$4.64 ¥728

-53.45%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$1.83 ¥287

58.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$7.16 ¥1,123

79.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$5.51 ¥865

82.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$14.35 ¥2,251

10.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$3.48 ¥546

-5.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.96 ¥308

2.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$3.40 ¥533

-35.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$3.26 ¥511

-27.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$1.52 ¥239

34.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$1.16 ¥182

63.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$1.15 ¥181

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.85 ¥133

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$3.80 ¥596

43.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$8.87 ¥1,392

98.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$1.51 ¥237

36.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$3.19 ¥501

46.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$1.91 ¥299

-82.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$58.5 ¥9,170

-64.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$3.61 ¥566

-41.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$1.96 ¥308

-71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$19.66 ¥3,084

-70.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.06 ¥167

51.89%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$22.4K ¥3.5M

1.89%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$15.7K ¥2.5M

70.81%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$141 ¥22.2K

-53.91%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$15.68 ¥2,460

91.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$31.75 ¥4,980

17.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$53.2 ¥8,351

12.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$11.10 ¥1,741

139.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$12.50 ¥1,960

-43.68%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$328 ¥51.4K

41.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$13.6K ¥2.1M

-2.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$19.07 ¥2,991

297.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$22.25 ¥3,490

151.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$63.0 ¥9,883

77.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$93.4 ¥14.7K

29.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$338 ¥53.0K

226.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$340 ¥53.3K

111.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$1,023 ¥160.5K

147.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$753 ¥118.2K

71.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$3,759 ¥589.6K

6.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,819 ¥285.4K

14.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$2,280 ¥357.6K

-54.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

1030.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Shizuoka: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $338 in Shizuoka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shizuoka pays 120% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $32.00 in Shizuoka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $259 per month, with Shizuoka 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 Shizuoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Shizuoka differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,164 including rent). Shizuoka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 120% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $338 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 181% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $328 in Shizuoka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,164 in Shizuoka versus $1,660 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 43% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.