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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $944 in Tak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,529 in Tak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,113 in Tak.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 74% more expensive than in Tak, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Tak is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$204

$3.12 ฿102

288.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$881

$23.69 ฿779

120.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$7.47 ฿245

45.92%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.4

$2.03 ฿66.9

99.51%

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

$1.72 MX$28.95

$0.70 ฿23.13

145.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.25

$0.32 ฿10.66

331.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.5

$2.08 ฿68.3

66.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.1

$3.03 ฿99.6

91.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.28

$1.81 ฿59.6

2.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.4

$1.40 ฿46.05

130.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.20

$1.32 ฿43.33

58.33%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.10

$2.12 ฿69.8

37.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$16.48 ฿542

-24.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$2.87 ฿94.5

252.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$268

$10.93 ฿359

45.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$3.29 ฿108

0.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.90

$1.11 ฿36.60

91.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.97

$2.24 ฿73.8

-2.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.31

$1.69 ฿55.6

44.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.95

$1.49 ฿49.11

46.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.15

$1.17 ฿38.32

62.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.26

$1.13 ฿37.16

43.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.78

$0.50 ฿16.39

170.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.6

$4.54 ฿149

19.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$15.14 ฿497

16.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.90

$1.76 ฿57.7

17.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.1

$2.95 ฿97.1

61.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.74

$0.95 ฿31.27

-64.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$364

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.44

$1.25 ฿41.14

63.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.75

$1.16 ฿38.22

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$3.87 ฿127

54.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.27

$1.44 ฿47.30

12.50%

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

$22.8K MX$385.0K

$24.3K ฿798.2K

-6.06%

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

$26.7K MX$450.0K

$27.6K ฿908.2K

-3.50%

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

$65.2 MX$1,101

$84.1 ฿2,763

-22.38%

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

$29.87 MX$504

$12.94 ฿425

130.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$617

$19.76 ฿650

84.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,030

$48.90 ฿1,607

24.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$14.14 ฿465

88.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$6.52 ฿214

5.06%

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

$453 MX$7,652

$571 ฿18.8K

-20.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$225.7K

$11.3K ฿369.9K

18.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,265

$52.1 ฿1,714

43.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$933

$30.46 ฿1,001

81.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,917

$78.2 ฿2,571

45.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,070

$76.6 ฿2,518

60.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.1K

$465 ฿15.3K

144.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$299 ฿9,812

138.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.4K

$1,231 ฿40.5K

108.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.1K

$709 ฿23.3K

84.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.4K

$1,996 ฿65.6K

100.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,623 ฿53.4K

29.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.57

102.87%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Tak: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $465 in Tak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $24.00 in Tak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 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 74% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $944 including rent). Tak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,469 in Mexico City and $1,416 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $465 in Tak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $571 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 $24.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $944 in Tak versus $1,646 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 74% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.