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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,133 in Sin el Fil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,735 in Sin el Fil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,338 in Sin el Fil.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Sin el Fil is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$10.68 LBP 955.9K

22.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$49.80 LBP 4.5M

7.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$8.16 LBP 730.3K

18.63%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$2.96 LBP 264.8K

26.35%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$1.56 LBP 139.9K

3.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.89 LBP 79.3K

30.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$3.57 LBP 319.4K

-9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$5.05 LBP 452.2K

-6.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.80 LBP 161.2K

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$0.80 LBP 71.7K

243.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.75 LBP 156.8K

6.86%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$3.23 LBP 289.2K

-22.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.94 LBP 710.7K

28.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$9.70 LBP 868.4K

-14.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$11.60 LBP 1.0M

1.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$1.75 LBP 156.7K

72.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.53 LBP 136.7K

18.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$1.09 LBP 97.8K

83.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$1.08 LBP 97.0K

85.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$0.92 LBP 82.5K

126.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$1.05 LBP 93.7K

116.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$0.83 LBP 74.0K

75.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$0.55 LBP 49.6K

96.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$2.49 LBP 222.8K

74.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$9.81 LBP 878.4K

73.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.24 LBP 111.1K

39.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$2.13 LBP 190.6K

68.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$5.08 LBP 454.9K

-73.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$1.22 LBP 109.6K

-77.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$20.30 LBP 1.8M

-74.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$0.94 LBP 84.0K

42.55%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$35.3K LBP 3.2B

-45.02%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$27.8K LBP 2.5B

-14.25%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$217 LBP 19.4M

-81.25%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$37.98 LBP 3.4M

-29.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$37.75 LBP 3.4M

-19.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$30.40 LBP 2.7M

73.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$10.19 LBP 912.0K

161.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$7.87 LBP 704.0K

-17.28%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$307 LBP 27.5M

39.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$4,532 LBP 405.6M

131.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$71.5 LBP 6.4M

-19.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$45.35 LBP 4.1M

0.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$99.9 LBP 8.9M

4.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$71.0 LBP 6.4M

51.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$298 LBP 26.7M

236.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$254 LBP 22.8M

144.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$1,017 LBP 91.0M

107.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$503 LBP 45.1M

141.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Sin el Fil: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $298 in Sin el Fil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $50.0 in Sin el Fil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 ($1,456 vs $1,133 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 $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,699 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $298 in Sin el Fil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $307 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 $50.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,133 in Sin el Fil versus $1,456 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.