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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $910 in Springs.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,486 in Springs.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,062 in Springs.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 61% more expensive than Springs, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Springs is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.50 R 138

55.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$34.02 R 553

58.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.90 R 79.6

92.24%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.13 R 34.60

66.67%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.89 R 14.46

82.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.63 R 10.32

76.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.70 R 27.61

83.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.97 R 32.08

135.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.18 R 19.24

44.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.00 R 16.22

172.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.61 R 26.20

18.63%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.47 R 40.10

2.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$6.51 R 106

54.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.45 R 72.3

81.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.52 R 106

78.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$0.95 R 15.45

212.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$0.86 R 14.03

110.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.14 R 18.59

76.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.09 R 17.68

86.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.36 R 22.02

55.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.17 R 18.95

94.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.14 R 18.50

22.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.15 R 18.76

-1.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.77 R 45.04

54.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$4.10 R 66.7

279.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.09 R 17.73

61.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.72 R 28.03

109.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.62 R 26.27

-76.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.44 R 23.42

-4.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.33 R 21.67

-78.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$3.01 R 48.96

81.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.26 R 20.42

3.17%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$19.6K R 318.2K

-4.56%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$25.7K R 417.8K

-10.04%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$123 R 2,003

-66.85%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$37.05 R 602

-27.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$38.24 R 621

-21.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$36.52 R 593

42.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.77 R 126

-18.92%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$85.1 R 1,383

412.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$1,671 R 27.2K

523.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$49.77 R 809

13.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$32.31 R 525

37.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$87.3 R 1,419

17.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$89.3 R 1,451

18.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$262 R 4,250

290.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$257 R 4,170

145.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$681 R 11.1K

213.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$644 R 10.5K

93.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,551 R 25.2K

151.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$704 R 11.4K

193.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,148 R 18.7K

-2.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.62

6.78%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Springs: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $262 in Springs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Springs pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Springs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $161 per month, with Springs 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 Springs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Springs differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $910 including rent). Springs is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Springs earns 3% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $262 in Springs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $85.1 in Springs. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Springs – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $910 in Springs versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Springs but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Springs 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 Springs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.