Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Simpson Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Simpson Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $3,727 in Simpson Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $6,371 in Simpson Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $9,016 in Simpson Bay.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 61% less than in Simpson Bay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Simpson Bay 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$21.68 ANG 38.70

-39.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$137 ANG 245

-60.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.96 ANG 5.29

19.93%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$2.93 ANG 5.23

-44.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$3.03 ANG 5.41

-63.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$5.60 ANG 9.99

-44.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.92 ANG 7.00

18.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$4.51 ANG 8.05

-62.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$2.46 ANG 4.39

10.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.60 ANG 4.65

-26.54%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$4.17 ANG 7.44

-39.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$18.68 ANG 33.34

-46.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$13.97 ANG 24.94

-42.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$15.13 ANG 27.01

-23.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.74 ANG 6.67

-20.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$2.86 ANG 5.10

-36.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$5.23 ANG 9.33

-61.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$3.92 ANG 7.01

-48.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$3.01 ANG 5.38

-29.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.95 ANG 3.49

16.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$2.99 ANG 5.33

-53.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.42 ANG 2.53

-20.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$15.20 ANG 27.14

2.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$0.97 ANG 1.74

81.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.54 ANG 2.76

133.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$2.16 ANG 3.86

-82.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$10.06 ANG 17.95

-86.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.46 ANG 2.60

-10.96%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

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

$40.86 MX$707

$503 ANG 898

-91.87%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$35.37 ANG 63.1

-24.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$85.9 ANG 153

-65.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$8.49 ANG 15.15

-25.80%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$1,019 ANG 1,818

-57.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$12.3K ANG 21.9K

-15.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$79.0 ANG 141

30.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$2,279 ANG 4,068

-55.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$2,336 ANG 4,170

-72.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$6,559 ANG 11.7K

-67.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$5,796 ANG 10.3K

-78.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Simpson Bay: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $2,279 in Simpson Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $137 in Simpson Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $425 per month, with Mexico City 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 Simpson Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Simpson Bay differ by about 154% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $3,727 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $5,590 in Simpson Bay 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $2,279 in Simpson Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $1,019 in Simpson Bay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $137 in Simpson Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $3,727 in Simpson Bay, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Simpson Bay. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 154% less than in Simpson Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.