Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Shymkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $808 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
Learn more

Shymkent Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Shymkent

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Shymkent actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $808 in Shymkent.

Mexico City $1,548
Shymkent $808

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,390 in Shymkent.

Mexico City $2,436
Shymkent $1,390

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $1,971 in Shymkent.

Mexico City $3,323
Shymkent $1,971

Living in Mexico City is roughly 92% more expensive than in Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Shymkent is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$11.25 ₸5,086

-2.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$33.35 ₸15.1K

45.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$6.50 ₸2,938

67.69%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$2.54 ₸1,147

44.88%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$1.03 ₸467

58.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.54 ₸246

131.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$1.09 ₸492

198.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$1.35 ₸609

309.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.46 ₸661

16.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$0.41 ₸184

636.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$1.79 ₸811

7.26%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$1.73 ₸783

57.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$10.04 ₸4,538

17.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$5.26 ₸2,376

81.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$8.98 ₸4,059

60.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.19 ₸538

153.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$2.12 ₸957

-10.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$2.58 ₸1,166

-22.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$1.35 ₸610

62.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$0.55 ₸250

249.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$0.41 ₸184

356.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$0.88 ₸397

63.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.83 ₸376

53.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$2.46 ₸1,114

112.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$4.55 ₸2,057

255.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.03 ₸466

84.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$1.51 ₸683

179.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.14 ₸64.0

142.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$0.87 ₸395

129.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$0.34 ₸156

52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$10.02 ₸4,532

-46.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$0.64 ₸291

137.50%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$27.2K ₸12.3M

-18.77%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$29.0K ₸13.1M

-15.63%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$47.29 ₸21.4K

29.14%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$9.60 ₸4,338

197.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$14.79 ₸6,685

133.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$38.82 ₸17.5K

45.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$8.82 ₸3,986

182.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$5.68 ₸2,567

17.25%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$57.8 ₸26.1K

639.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$37.55 ₸17.0K

80.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$33.85 ₸15.3K

53.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$187 ₸84.4K

-43.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$52.9 ₸23.9K

112.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$338 ₸153.0K

202.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$203 ₸92.0K

221.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$698 ₸315.6K

230.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$545 ₸246.2K

128.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$1,104 ₸499.1K

227.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$986 ₸445.6K

96.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$442 ₸199.6K

118.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

18.25

-38.08%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Shymkent

$203 25.2% 68.9% $451

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Shymkent

$185 22.9% 41.8% $133

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Shymkent

$154 19.1% 24.3% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Shymkent

$140 17.3% 8.1% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Shymkent

$72 8.9% 42.3% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Shymkent

$50 6.2% 28% $20

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Shymkent

$3.2 * 0.4% 87.7% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $338 in Shymkent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 118% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $33.00 in Shymkent for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $185 per month, with Shymkent cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

23:03 11:03 PM

12 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,222,055

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Shymkent 13,050 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Shymkent

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Shymkent differ by about 92% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $808 including rent). Shymkent is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 118% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $338 in Shymkent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $57.8 in Shymkent. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shymkent – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $808 in Shymkent versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shymkent but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Shymkent 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 Shymkent 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 Shymkent gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.