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: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $1,076 in Side.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,642 in Side.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $2,208 in Side.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 36% more expensive than Side, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Side is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$7.79 ₺350

70.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$23.29 ₺1,047

130.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.18 ₺278

52.43%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.64 ₺119

35.98%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.74 ₺78.0

-6.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.47 ₺21.24

138.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$3.14 ₺141

3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$4.10 ₺184

13.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.84 ₺37.96

95.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$0.98 ₺44.13

170.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$0.88 ₺39.38

122.73%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$1.77 ₺79.5

43.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$8.38 ₺377

18.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$5.33 ₺240

57.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$16.31 ₺733

-27.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$1.01 ₺45.32

183.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$2.09 ₺93.9

-17.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$0.73 ₺32.71

172.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.11 ₺49.76

84.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$0.56 ₺24.97

267.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$0.45 ₺20.33

406.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.27 ₺56.9

14.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.34 ₺15.30

220.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.05 ₺92.0

108.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$8.72 ₺392

68.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$1.70 ₺76.6

3.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$2.12 ₺95.3

68.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.63 ₺28.09

-39.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

$30.68 ₺1,379

-38.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$1.08 ₺48.74

28.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$0.61 ₺27.31

-50.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$7.65 ₺344

-29.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.16 ₺52.0

15.52%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$40.1K ₺1.8M

-52.96%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$42.7K ₺1.9M

-45.61%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$48.43 ₺2,177

-16.79%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$8.03 ₺361

238.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$6.49 ₺292

353.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$42.64 ₺1,917

23.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$6.47 ₺291

-4.48%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$619 ₺27.8K

-28.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$8,974 ₺403.4K

19.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$75.2 ₺3,379

-23.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$45.66 ₺2,053

-1.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$163 ₺7,318

-36.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$112 ₺5,025

-2.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$513 ₺23.0K

95.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$395 ₺17.8K

60.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$889 ₺40.0K

140.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$702 ₺31.6K

78.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$1,382 ₺62.1K

170.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$1,010 ₺45.4K

135.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-43.30%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Last update for Side: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $513 in Side. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $23 in Side for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $198 per month, with Side 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 Side: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Side differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $1,076 including rent). Side is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,199 in Mexico City and $1,614 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $513 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 64% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $441 in Mexico City versus $619 in Side. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,076 in Side versus $1,466 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 36% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.