Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sin el Fil Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sin el Fil

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,138 in Sin el Fil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,774 in Sin el Fil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,411 in Sin el Fil.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 29% more expensive than Sin el Fil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Sin el Fil is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$10.84 LBP 970.5K

21.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$50.9 LBP 4.6M

5.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.94 LBP 710.2K

18.64%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$3.09 LBP 276.2K

14.89%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.57 LBP 140.7K

3.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.94 LBP 83.8K

18.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$3.51 LBP 314.5K

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$5.13 LBP 459.1K

-9.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.76 LBP 157.9K

-3.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.81 LBP 72.3K

235.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.82 LBP 163.2K

4.95%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$3.07 LBP 274.5K

-17.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.92 LBP 708.7K

26.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$9.75 LBP 872.8K

-17.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$11.64 LBP 1.0M

-0.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.80 LBP 160.7K

65.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.52 LBP 136.4K

19.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.10 LBP 98.2K

82.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.09 LBP 97.9K

86.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.94 LBP 84.3K

125.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.00 LBP 89.5K

127.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.81 LBP 72.3K

72.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.56 LBP 49.7K

101.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.44 LBP 218.8K

75.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$10.18 LBP 911.5K

52.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.23 LBP 110.1K

43.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.15 LBP 192.4K

67.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$5.11 LBP 457.1K

-72.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.22 LBP 108.7K

-77.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$20.35 LBP 1.8M

-73.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.94 LBP 83.8K

38.30%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$35.4K LBP 3.2B

-47.20%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$28.2K LBP 2.5B

-17.98%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$218 LBP 19.5M

-81.23%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$37.75 LBP 3.4M

-28.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$36.64 LBP 3.3M

-18.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$30.50 LBP 2.7M

70.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$10.17 LBP 909.9K

163.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$8.22 LBP 736.0K

-23.36%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$304 LBP 27.2M

43.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,496 LBP 402.4M

131.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$71.0 LBP 6.4M

-20.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$44.40 LBP 4.0M

-0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$99.3 LBP 8.9M

3.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$70.1 LBP 6.3M

50.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$304 LBP 27.2M

235.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$253 LBP 22.7M

149.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,003 LBP 89.7M

113.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$495 LBP 44.3M

150.87%

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

11.16

1.61%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sin el Fil: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $304 in Sin el Fil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $51.0 in Sin el Fil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $226 per month, with Sin el Fil 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 Sin el Fil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sin el Fil differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,138 including rent). Sin el Fil 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 $1,707 in Sin el Fil 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 $304 in Sin el Fil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $304 in Sin el Fil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sin el Fil – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,138 in Sin el Fil versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sin el Fil but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sin el Fil 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 Sin el Fil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.