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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $929 in Springs.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,485 in Springs.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,041 in Springs.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 57% more expensive than in Springs, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Springs is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$8.16 R 135

60.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$32.99 R 544

62.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.77 R 78.8

102.94%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.12 R 35.06

76.42%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.82 R 13.55

97.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.64 R 10.49

81.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.65 R 27.15

95.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.00 R 33.03

137.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.20 R 19.79

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.03 R 17.07

166.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.61 R 26.63

16.15%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.43 R 40.03

2.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$6.57 R 108

55.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.45 R 73.5

85.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$6.40 R 106

84.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.02 R 16.81

195.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$0.81 R 13.34

123.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.15 R 18.96

73.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.04 R 17.16

92.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.32 R 21.77

57.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.22 R 20.15

86.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.08 R 17.82

35.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.16 R 19.17

-6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.88 R 47.52

51.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$3.88 R 64.1

337.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.10 R 18.09

57.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.71 R 28.22

109.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.68 R 27.77

-76.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.42 R 23.45

-6.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.31 R 21.68

-78.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$3.10 R 51.1

69.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.27 R 20.95

5.51%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$19.5K R 321.2K

-0.26%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$25.5K R 420.8K

-6.52%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$124 R 2,046

-67.18%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$37.68 R 622

-28.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$37.83 R 624

-19.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$37.04 R 611

42.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$7.66 R 126

-15.01%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$82.9 R 1,368

416.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$1,698 R 28.0K

518.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$51.0 R 842

12.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$32.73 R 540

39.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$89.2 R 1,472

16.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$87.0 R 1,436

23.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$266 R 4,397

276.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$247 R 4,084

151.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$676 R 11.2K

211.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$636 R 10.5K

91.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$830 R 13.7K

367.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$686 R 11.3K

196.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,166 R 19.2K

-10.99%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Springs: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $266 in Springs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Springs pays 12% 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 $33.00 in Springs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 57% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $929 including rent). Springs is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Springs. 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $266 in Springs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $82.9 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 $33.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $929 in Springs versus $1,456 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 57% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.