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: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $910 in Tak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $1,474 in Tak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $2,037 in Tak.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 63% more expensive than in Tak, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Tak is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$229

$3.13 ฿106

320.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$932

$27.54 ฿930

94.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$166

$6.28 ฿212

52.07%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$64.8

$2.07 ฿69.9

79.71%

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

$1.57 MX$27.28

$0.72 ฿24.38

118.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.12

$0.34 ฿11.62

241.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.4

$2.50 ฿84.3

27.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.6

$3.68 ฿124

25.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.69 ฿57.1

1.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.54

$1.33 ฿45.02

96.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.87

$1.30 ฿44.04

45.38%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.17

$2.22 ฿74.9

17.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$172

$18.18 ฿613

-45.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$143

$3.10 ฿105

165.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$205

$10.61 ฿358

11.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.1

$3.20 ฿108

-6.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.32

$1.24 ฿41.91

45.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.08

$1.95 ฿65.7

6.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.23

$1.52 ฿51.1

29.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.05

$1.53 ฿51.5

35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$1.22 ฿41.10

77.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.41

$0.98 ฿32.98

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.52 ฿17.66

105.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$71.7

$4.45 ฿150

-7.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$303

$14.51 ฿490

20.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.16

$1.72 ฿58.2

-2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.5

$2.80 ฿94.6

30.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.96 ฿32.40

-60.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$326

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.13

$1.06 ฿35.64

25.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.27

$1.18 ฿39.84

-74.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$95.9

$6.14 ฿207

-10.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$1.27 ฿43.00

3.15%

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

$19.2K MX$333.5K

$28.1K ฿947.0K

-31.69%

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

$23.7K MX$413.3K

$27.2K ฿919.0K

-12.79%

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

$41.14 MX$716

$75.4 ฿2,545

-45.43%

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

$27.74 MX$483

$13.92 ฿470

99.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$524

$18.40 ฿621

63.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$935

$49.57 ฿1,673

8.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$452

$12.36 ฿417

110.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$113

$7.03 ฿237

-7.68%

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

$437 MX$7,598

$294 ฿9,912

48.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.0K

$9,691 ฿327.1K

7.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,015

$33.43 ฿1,128

74.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$798

$34.48 ฿1,164

33.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,765

$99.3 ฿3,353

2.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,854

$70.1 ฿2,365

52.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.5K

$426 ฿14.4K

135.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.0K

$286 ฿9,666

121.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.4K

$822 ฿27.8K

161.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.7K

$663 ฿22.4K

87.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.2K

$1,770 ฿59.7K

117.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.3K

$1,311 ฿44.2K

59.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.7K

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Tak: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $426 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 $291 vs $245 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 63% in total monthly costs ($1,481 vs $910 including rent). Tak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,222 in Mexico City and $1,366 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: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $426 in Tak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $437 in Mexico City versus $294 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 $910 in Tak versus $1,481 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 63% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.