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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $377 in Skardu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $576 in Skardu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $775 in Skardu.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 293% more expensive than in Skardu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Skardu is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$229

$1.79 PKR 497

635.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$933

$10.50 PKR 2,916

410.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$166

$4.14 PKR 1,149

130.68%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 PKR 479

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 PKR 998

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$64.8

$0.42 PKR 117

785.71%

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

$1.57 MX$27.28

$0.34 PKR 94.9

361.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.12

$0.23 PKR 63.9

404.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.68

$0.77 PKR 215

122.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.54

$0.56 PKR 155

367.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.87

$1.21 PKR 336

56.20%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.17

$1.17 PKR 324

122.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$172

$6.00 PKR 1,665

65.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$143

$2.60 PKR 721

216.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$205

$3.71 PKR 1,031

217.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.1

$1.05 PKR 290

185.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.32

$0.66 PKR 183

172.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.09

$0.67 PKR 186

208.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.23

$0.49 PKR 135

302.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.06

$0.35 PKR 95.9

491.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$0.50 PKR 140

334.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.42

$0.31 PKR 85.6

351.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.36 PKR 100

197.22%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.55 PKR 429

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 PKR 259

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 PKR 560

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$71.7

$1.98 PKR 550

108.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$303

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.16

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.20 PKR 56.5

90.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$326

$7.10 PKR 1,972

163.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.13

$0.84 PKR 233

58.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.27

$0.40 PKR 111

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$95.9

$1.78 PKR 495

209.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$0.96 PKR 265

36.46%

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

$19.2K MX$333.6K

$21.5K PKR 6.0M

-10.71%

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

$23.7K MX$413.3K

$22.7K PKR 6.3M

4.71%

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

$41.14 MX$716

$102 PKR 28.3K

-59.67%

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

$27.74 MX$483

$7.09 PKR 1,969

291.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$524

$11.40 PKR 3,165

164.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$935

$12.46 PKR 3,458

331.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$452

$6.02 PKR 1,670

331.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$113

$3.62 PKR 1,006

79.28%

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

$437 MX$7,599

$29.27 PKR 8,128

1391.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.0K

$1,105 PKR 306.7K

846.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,015

$15.31 PKR 4,250

280.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$798

$21.94 PKR 6,091

109.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,765

$68.7 PKR 19.1K

47.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,854

$28.93 PKR 8,033

268.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.5K

$73.9 PKR 20.5K

1259.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.0K

$52.7 PKR 14.6K

1101.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.4K

$168 PKR 46.7K

1178.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.7K

$108 PKR 29.9K

1058.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.2K

$974 PKR 270.5K

296.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.3K

$484 PKR 134.2K

331.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-40.32%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Last update for Skardu: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $73.9 in Skardu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $11.00 in Skardu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $87.0 per month, with Skardu 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 Skardu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Skardu differ by about 293% in total monthly costs ($1,481 vs $377 including rent). Skardu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,222 in Mexico City and $566 in Skardu 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: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $73.9 in Skardu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Skardu runs roughly 164% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $437 in Mexico City versus $29.27 in Skardu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $377 in Skardu versus $1,481 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Skardu but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Skardu 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 Skardu 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 Skardu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 293% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.