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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $611 in Tema.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $989 in Tema.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,367 in Tema.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 140% more expensive than Tema, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Tema is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$7.50 GHS 88.0

75.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$27.73 GHS 326

94.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.18 GHS 96.0

15.16%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.46 GHS 17.14

143.15%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.00 GHS 11.78

62.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.33 GHS 3.93

236.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.74 GHS 20.38

79.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.69 GHS 31.63

72.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$2.98 GHS 34.94

-42.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.68 GHS 19.69

61.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.55 GHS 18.22

23.23%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.18 GHS 25.64

16.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$3.72 GHS 43.73

169.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$2.73 GHS 32.08

196.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$2.44 GHS 28.63

376.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.71 GHS 31.76

9.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$2.08 GHS 24.38

-12.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.07 GHS 24.27

-2.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.89 GHS 33.97

-29.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.84 GHS 21.60

15.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.97 GHS 23.15

15.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.61 GHS 7.16

129.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.82 GHS 9.63

37.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$7.21 GHS 84.7

115.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$0.82 GHS 9.66

114.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$2.03 GHS 23.87

-81.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$39.80 GHS 467

-51.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.42 GHS 16.64

-2.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.77 GHS 9.00

-63.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.19 GHS 13.98

9.24%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

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

$40.86 MX$707

$30.84 GHS 362

32.49%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$12.26 GHS 144

118.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$64.6 GHS 759

-53.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$19.37 GHS 227

168.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

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

$436 MX$7,544

$82.4 GHS 967

429.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$25.07 GHS 294

125.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$24.67 GHS 290

79.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$45.82 GHS 538

124.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$60.6 GHS 712

74.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$117 GHS 1,371

775.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$66.6 GHS 782

846.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$139 GHS 1,629

795.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$10.0K GHS 117.6K

-61.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$6,030 GHS 70.8K

-65.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$390 GHS 4,576

186.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

32.5

-65.11%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tema: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $117 in Tema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 186% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $28.00 in Tema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $183 per month, with Tema 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 Tema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tema differ by about 140% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $611 including rent). Tema is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 186% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $117 in Tema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tema runs roughly 108% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $82.4 in Tema. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $611 in Tema versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tema but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tema 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 Tema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.