Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Skardu

For one person, living is cheaper in Skardu: $426 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Skardu
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Skardu Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Skardu

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Skardu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Skardu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $426 in Skardu.

Mexico City $1,548
Skardu $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $636 in Skardu.

Mexico City $2,436
Skardu $636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $847 in Skardu.

Mexico City $3,323
Skardu $847

Living in Mexico City is roughly 264% more expensive than in Skardu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Skardu is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$1.84 PKR 509

498.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$11.31 PKR 3,132

330.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$4.65 PKR 1,286

134.41%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 PKR 753

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 PKR 1,415

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$1.68 PKR 464

119.05%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$0.31 PKR 84.5

425.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.18 PKR 50.3

594.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$0.86 PKR 238

97.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$0.59 PKR 164

411.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$1.16 PKR 320

65.52%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$1.20 PKR 333

127.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$5.40 PKR 1,494

117.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$2.50 PKR 691

281.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$5.02 PKR 1,389

187.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.10 PKR 305

174.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$0.54 PKR 149

250.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$0.79 PKR 220

151.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$0.55 PKR 153

298.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$0.28 PKR 76.3

585.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$0.35 PKR 97.5

434.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$0.46 PKR 127

213.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.38 PKR 104

234.21%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.59 PKR 441

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PKR 295

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 PKR 563

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$2.10 PKR 580

148.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.16 PKR 45.37

112.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$9.06 PKR 2,509

116.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$1.24 PKR 343

61.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$0.71 PKR 196

-26.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$1.83 PKR 506

191.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.18 PKR 327

28.81%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$19.1K PKR 5.3M

15.83%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$26.2K PKR 7.3M

-6.53%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$87.8 PKR 24.3K

-30.46%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$3.60 PKR 996

693.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$13.36 PKR 3,697

158.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$15.33 PKR 4,243

267.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$7.98 PKR 2,208

211.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$4.88 PKR 1,351

36.48%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$47.71 PKR 13.2K

795.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$1,082 PKR 299.5K

975.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$19.16 PKR 5,304

253.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$24.54 PKR 6,793

111.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$59.7 PKR 16.5K

77.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$34.15 PKR 9,451

229.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$128 PKR 35.4K

702.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$78.3 PKR 21.7K

735.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$250 PKR 69.3K

822.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$139 PKR 38.4K

794.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$1,070 PKR 296.0K

237.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$494 PKR 136.8K

291.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-13.08%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Skardu: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Skardu

$78 18.4% 88% $576

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Skardu

$90 21.2% 71.6% $228

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Skardu

$51 11.9% 75.1% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Skardu

$62 14.5% 59.4% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Skardu

$105 24.6% 15.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Skardu

$25 5.9% 64% $45

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Skardu

$15 3.4% 43.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $128 in Skardu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $11.00 in Skardu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $90.0 per month, with Skardu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇰 Skardu

🕒 Local time

08:54 8:54 AM

19:54 7:54 PM

11 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

260,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Skardu 13,910 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Skardu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 264% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $426 including rent). Skardu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,322 in Mexico City and $638 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $128 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 117% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $47.71 in Skardu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $426 in Skardu versus $1,548 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 264% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.