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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,030 in Springs.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,624 in Springs.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,218 in Springs.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 63% more expensive than in Springs, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Springs is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$9.31 R 151

30.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$916

$37.59 R 608

43.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$5.19 R 84.0

113.68%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.6

$2.39 R 38.67

71.55%

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

$1.68 MX$28.57

$0.94 R 15.16

78.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.58

$0.72 R 11.60

93.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.6

$1.90 R 30.70

75.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.9

$2.17 R 35.09

170.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.45

$1.26 R 20.33

46.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.9

$1.00 R 16.26

217.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.18

$1.91 R 30.97

8.38%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.74

$2.61 R 42.16

12.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$8.27 R 134

52.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$5.10 R 82.6

98.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$7.39 R 120

117.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.6

$1.30 R 21.00

160.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.31

$1.02 R 16.47

103.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.02

$1.21 R 19.63

75.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$41.01

$1.20 R 19.37

100.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.17

$1.15 R 18.68

85.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.07

$1.19 R 19.24

68.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.16 R 18.80

33.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.19

$0.96 R 15.51

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$98.0

$3.28 R 53.1

75.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$4.01 R 64.9

342.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.16

$1.21 R 19.51

71.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.4

$1.80 R 29.09

156.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$1.43 R 23.18

-74.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$360

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.89

$0.30 R 4.82

583.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.80

$0.79 R 12.79

-26.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$15.27 R 247

-60.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.38

$1.48 R 23.88

4.73%

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

$22.9K MX$388.6K

$37.5K R 607.3K

-39.06%

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

$27.2K MX$462.7K

$34.9K R 563.9K

-21.86%

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

$67.4 MX$1,145

$159 R 2,565

-57.48%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$38.47 R 622

-20.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$633

$36.80 R 595

1.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,044

$34.00 R 550

80.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$461

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$7.38 R 119

-3.66%

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

$456 MX$7,750

$92.2 R 1,492

394.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.6K

$5,754 R 93.1K

137.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,260

$54.6 R 884

35.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$969

$33.76 R 546

68.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,961

$94.7 R 1,532

21.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,064

$87.0 R 1,408

39.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$293 R 4,737

291.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.1K

$284 R 4,589

150.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.8K

$754 R 12.2K

241.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$732 R 11.8K

76.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$68.0K

$888 R 14.4K

350.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.2K

$705 R 11.4K

202.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$1,208 R 19.5K

-10.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.75

5.12%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Springs: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $293 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 $38.00 in Springs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $176 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 63% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,030 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $293 in Springs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $92.2 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 $38.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,030 in Springs versus $1,677 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 63% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.