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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,123 in Side.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,826 in Side.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,529 in Side.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 49% more expensive than in Side, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Side is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$9.47 ₺460

28.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$67.2 ₺3,263

-19.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$10.08 ₺490

10.02%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$3.38 ₺164

21.30%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$2.13 ₺103

-21.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.38 ₺18.56

265.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$3.74 ₺181

-10.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$5.95 ₺289

-1.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.05 ₺51.0

76.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.95 ₺46.19

233.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$2.30 ₺112

-10.00%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.03 ₺98.7

44.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$12.56 ₺610

0.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$5.71 ₺277

77.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$26.07 ₺1,266

-38.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$1.42 ₺68.9

138.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$2.31 ₺112

-9.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.36 ₺66.1

55.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.38 ₺66.9

74.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$0.77 ₺37.56

176.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$0.66 ₺32.07

204.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.83 ₺88.8

-15.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.68 ₺33.20

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$2.61 ₺127

121.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$13.28 ₺645

33.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.71 ₺83.1

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$3.08 ₺150

49.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.72 ₺35.19

-48.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$32.89 ₺1,597

-35.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.38 ₺66.8

48.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$1.01 ₺48.94

-42.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$5.75 ₺279

5.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.42 ₺69.0

9.15%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$42.5K ₺2.1M

-46.13%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$39.8K ₺1.9M

-31.52%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$66.3 ₺3,218

1.72%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$10.03 ₺487

205.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$21.50 ₺1,044

73.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$50.0 ₺2,428

22.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$8.75 ₺425

-18.74%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$611 ₺29.7K

-25.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$10.6K ₺515.1K

29.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$45.65 ₺2,217

62.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$61.8 ₺2,998

-7.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$87.7 ₺4,259

31.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$79.6 ₺3,866

52.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$435 ₺21.1K

163.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$309 ₺15.0K

129.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$766 ₺37.2K

236.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$588 ₺28.6K

120.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$1,489 ₺72.3K

169.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,115 ₺54.1K

91.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

39.17

-71.15%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Side: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $435 in Side. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $67.0 in Side. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $276, with Side 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 Side: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Side differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,123 including rent). Side is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,515 in Mexico City and $1,685 in Side 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $435 in Side. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Side runs roughly 55% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $611 in Side. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,123 in Side versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Side but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Side 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 Side 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 Side gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.