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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $906 in Tak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,476 in Tak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,047 in Tak.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 62% more expensive than Tak, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$230

$3.10 ฿102

325.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$941

$27.73 ฿910

94.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$165

$6.22 ฿204

51.45%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$62.0

$2.10 ฿68.8

69.05%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$0.68 ฿22.16

138.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.46

$0.35 ฿11.46

217.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.5

$2.45 ฿80.3

27.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.9

$3.78 ฿124

22.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.71

$1.77 ฿58.0

-3.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.47

$1.36 ฿44.54

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.39

$1.28 ฿41.84

49.22%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.29

$2.20 ฿72.3

15.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$175

$18.80 ฿617

-46.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$141

$2.97 ฿97.4

172.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$203

$10.60 ฿348

9.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.8

$3.23 ฿106

-8.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.55

$1.19 ฿39.18

52.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.16

$1.96 ฿64.3

2.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.54

$1.54 ฿50.6

31.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$37.10

$1.49 ฿48.87

42.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.63

$1.25 ฿40.88

81.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.45

$1.02 ฿33.47

37.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.74

$0.52 ฿17.07

117.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$4.34 ฿142

-1.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$272

$15.76 ฿517

-1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$1.80 ฿59.1

-2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.8

$2.76 ฿90.6

30.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.69

$0.91 ฿29.72

-58.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$335

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.03

$1.05 ฿34.55

31.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$1.15 ฿37.70

-75.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$95.1

$6.12 ฿201

-10.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.77

$1.30 ฿42.53

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

$18.7K MX$326.4K

$27.6K ฿905.6K

-32.29%

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

$23.1K MX$404.0K

$27.7K ฿907.8K

-16.41%

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

$40.86 MX$714

$75.7 ฿2,482

-45.99%

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

$26.81 MX$468

$13.57 ฿445

97.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$523

$18.37 ฿603

63.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$908

$48.45 ฿1,590

7.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$469

$12.30 ฿404

118.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$110

$6.92 ฿227

-8.96%

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

$436 MX$7,617

$299 ฿9,818

45.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$181.9K

$9,682 ฿317.7K

7.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$989

$33.09 ฿1,086

71.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$775

$34.27 ฿1,124

29.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,798

$99.3 ฿3,257

3.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,843

$69.7 ฿2,285

51.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.8K

$429 ฿14.1K

138.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$11.0K

$282 ฿9,247

123.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.3K

$814 ฿26.7K

162.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.7K

$661 ฿21.7K

87.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.2K

$2,220 ฿72.8K

75.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$36.1K

$1,379 ฿45.2K

49.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.45

108.07%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tak: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $429 in Tak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $28.00 in Tak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $250 per month, with Tak 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 Tak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tak differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $906 including rent). Tak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,359 in Tak to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $429 in Tak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $299 in Tak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tak – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $906 in Tak versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tak but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tak 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 Tak 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 Tak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.