Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Tanga: $38.44 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Tanga

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$38.44

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Tanga

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Tanga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $38.44 in Tanga.

Mexico City $1,548
Tanga $38.44

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $55.9 in Tanga.

Mexico City $2,436
Tanga $55.9

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $73.3 in Tanga.

Mexico City $3,323
Tanga $73.3

Living in Mexico City is roughly 3927% more expensive than in Tanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Tanga is 97% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$1.49 TZS 3,910

639.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$3.46 TZS 9,065

215.03%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$0.55 TZS 1,448

569.09%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$0.29 TZS 758

462.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.37 TZS 961

237.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$0.91 TZS 2,391

257.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$1.14 TZS 2,998

385.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

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

$28.58 MX$528

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

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

$427 MX$7,891

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Tanga: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Tanga

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Tanga

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Tanga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Tanga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Tanga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Tanga

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Tanga

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇹🇿 Tanga

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

14:40 2:40 PM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

393,429

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,944 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Tanga 15,220 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Tanga

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tanga differ by about 3927% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $38.44 including rent). Tanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,322 in Mexico City and $57.7 in Tanga 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.

At $38.44 in Tanga versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tanga but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tanga 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.

Expats usually find Tanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3927% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.