Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tehran

For one person, living is cheaper in Tehran: $629 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
Learn more

Tehran Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$629

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Tehran actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $629 in Tehran.

Mexico City $1,608
Tehran $629

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,066 in Tehran.

Mexico City $2,549
Tehran $1,066

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,503 in Tehran.

Mexico City $3,490
Tehran $1,503

Living in Mexico City is roughly 156% more expensive than in Tehran, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Tehran is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$3.45 $3.45

207.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$908

$16.28 $16.28

196.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$4.09 $4.09

153.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 $0.72

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.3

$1.32 $1.32

179.55%

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

$1.67 MX$31.29

$0.53 $0.53

215.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.76

$1.72 $1.72

-26.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.38

$0.71 $0.71

142.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$0.62 $0.62

390.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.44

$3.34 $3.34

-41.92%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.2

$1.26 $1.26

129.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$4.51 $4.51

143.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$3.36 $3.36

175.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$10.13 $10.13

49.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.2

$1.38 $1.38

121.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.45

$1.87 $1.87

3.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.02

$1.14 $1.14

78.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.46

$0.64 $0.64

260.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.21

$0.55 $0.55

270.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.79

$0.47 $0.47

282.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.77

$0.53 $0.53

179.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.80

$0.30 $0.30

323.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.79 $0.79

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.6

$2.53 $2.53

109.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.10 $0.10

210.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$5.47 $5.47

260.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.50

$0.52 $0.52

253.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.02

$0.29 $0.29

82.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$3.09 $3.09

71.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.36

$0.09 $0.09

1577.78%

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

$21.8K MX$408.4K

$51.0K $51.0K

-57.31%

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

$24.0K MX$450.3K

$45.1K $45.1K

-46.79%

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

$63.0 MX$1,182

$12.88 $12.88

388.98%

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

$27.39 MX$514

$1.60 $1.60

1611.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$3.85 $3.85

826.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,107

$24.27 $24.27

142.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$13.15 $13.15

79.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$1.95 $1.95

228.21%

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

$432 MX$8,103

$109 $109

297.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.5K

$2,557 $2,557

346.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,281

$26.91 $26.91

153.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$997

$37.60 $37.60

41.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,023

$118 $118

-8.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,202

$71.7 $71.7

63.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$430 $430

159.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$269 $269

164.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$961 $961

169.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$628 $628

124.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$1,268 $1,268

186.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$717 $717

197.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$211 $211

349.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

24.79

-54.22%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tehran: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Tehran

$269 42.8% 62.1% $441

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Tehran

$126 20.1% 60.4% $193

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Tehran

$65 10.3% 67.4% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Tehran

$114 18.2% 26.7% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Tehran

$18 2.9% 85.5% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Tehran

$28 4.5% 60.7% $44

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Tehran

$7.8 1.3% 69.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $430 in Tehran. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 4.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $16 in Tehran for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $126 per month, with Tehran cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇷 Tehran

🕒 Local time

01:27 1:27 AM

10:57 10:57 AM

9 h 30 min ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

8,000,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Tehran 13,140 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Tehran

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 Tehran: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $629 in Tehran, so Tehran is about 61% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Mexico City is about 4.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $430 in Tehran. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tehran runs roughly 72% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $109 in Tehran. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $629 in Tehran versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tehran but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tehran 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 Tehran gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.