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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,177 in Suginami-ku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,890 in Suginami-ku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,602 in Suginami-ku.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 24% more expensive than in Suginami-ku, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Suginami-ku is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$6.98 ¥1,134

87.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$35.14 ¥5,710

52.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.07 ¥824

90.93%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.19 ¥518

17.24%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.13 ¥184

43.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.77 ¥124

50.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.02 ¥329

59.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.04 ¥331

132.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.57 ¥255

5.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.74 ¥283

58.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$4.97 ¥808

-62.37%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.58 ¥257

58.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$10.00 ¥1,624

2.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.41 ¥1,041

28.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$15.32 ¥2,489

-22.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$5.89 ¥958

-48.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$3.13 ¥509

-42.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$4.08 ¥662

-50.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$4.60 ¥748

-56.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$3.33 ¥541

-37.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$3.73 ¥605

-39.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.39 ¥226

5.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.86 ¥141

25.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.15 ¥674

4.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$9.44 ¥1,534

79.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.75 ¥284

-1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.12 ¥344

68.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.61 ¥262

-75.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$54.5 ¥8,855

-65.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$3.49 ¥568

-61.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$3.01 ¥489

-90.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$22.25 ¥3,616

-76.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.25 ¥202

7.20%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$22.8K ¥3.7M

-14.80%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$18.6K ¥3.0M

28.01%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$83.6 ¥13.6K

-51.32%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$27.56 ¥4,478

-2.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$34.22 ¥5,560

-10.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$56.8 ¥9,229

-7.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$13.94 ¥2,265

91.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$11.47 ¥1,864

-43.24%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$287 ¥46.6K

49.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$13.8K ¥2.2M

-23.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$20.67 ¥3,359

176.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$29.29 ¥4,759

55.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$60.6 ¥9,852

71.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$97.9 ¥15.9K

10.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$471 ¥76.6K

112.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$334 ¥54.3K

86.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$857 ¥139.2K

146.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$668 ¥108.6K

82.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$4,568 ¥742.1K

-14.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$2,023 ¥328.7K

0.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$2,703 ¥439.2K

-61.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

467.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Suginami-ku: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $471 in Suginami-ku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Suginami-ku pays 160% 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 $35.00 in Suginami-ku. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $320, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 24% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,177 including rent). Suginami-ku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 160% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $471 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 192% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $287 in Suginami-ku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,177 in Suginami-ku versus $1,456 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 24% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.