Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Suginami-ku Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Suginami-ku

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,231 in Suginami-ku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,991 in Suginami-ku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,751 in Suginami-ku.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 35% more expensive than in Suginami-ku, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Suginami-ku is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$6.52 ¥1,018

82.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$41.54 ¥6,488

24.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$5.03 ¥786

126.84%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$3.58 ¥559

11.45%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.12 ¥175

48.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.82 ¥128

62.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$2.56 ¥400

35.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$3.29 ¥514

79.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.46 ¥228

28.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.75 ¥273

85.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$3.74 ¥584

-42.25%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.14 ¥335

35.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$12.04 ¥1,880

6.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.14 ¥959

63.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$14.54 ¥2,271

9.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$5.97 ¥933

-44.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$2.89 ¥451

-30.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$2.94 ¥459

-25.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$4.42 ¥690

-46.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$2.66 ¥415

-22.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$2.59 ¥405

-26.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.27 ¥199

26.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.77 ¥120

81.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$3.87 ¥604

41.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$6.41 ¥1,001

175.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.81 ¥282

13.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$2.12 ¥332

120.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$1.35 ¥211

-74.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$56.8 ¥8,872

-63.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$3.18 ¥497

-33.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$2.61 ¥408

-78.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$21.23 ¥3,316

-72.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.15 ¥180

40.00%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$22.0K ¥3.4M

3.96%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$18.9K ¥3.0M

41.18%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$136 ¥21.2K

-52.02%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$24.41 ¥3,811

23.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$33.10 ¥5,169

12.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$60.4 ¥9,435

-1.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$12.97 ¥2,026

-45.72%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$635 ¥99.1K

-26.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$15.3K ¥2.4M

-13.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$65.1 ¥10.2K

16.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$33.43 ¥5,221

67.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$62.6 ¥9,768

78.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$105 ¥16.4K

14.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$509 ¥79.5K

116.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$327 ¥51.1K

120.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$1,058 ¥165.2K

139.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$776 ¥121.2K

66.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$3,694 ¥576.8K

8.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$1,970 ¥307.7K

6.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$2,849 ¥444.9K

-63.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

465.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Suginami-ku: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $509 in Suginami-ku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Suginami-ku pays 175% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $42.00 in Suginami-ku for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $301 per month, with Suginami-ku 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 Suginami-ku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Suginami-ku differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,231 including rent). Suginami-ku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 175% lower in Suginami-ku. 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $509 in Suginami-ku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Suginami-ku runs roughly 173% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $635 in Suginami-ku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,231 in Suginami-ku versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suginami-ku but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Suginami-ku 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 Suginami-ku 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 Suginami-ku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.