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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $989 in Tembisa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,565 in Tembisa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,140 in Tembisa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 49% more expensive than in Tembisa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Tembisa is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$8.66 R 144

51.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$33.77 R 563

58.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$4.93 R 82.2

89.25%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$2.13 R 35.46

73.71%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$0.99 R 16.43

61.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.82 R 13.64

36.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$2.26 R 37.67

38.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

$2.49 R 41.45

94.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$1.12 R 18.58

47.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$1.00 R 16.72

171.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$1.64 R 27.27

16.46%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$2.45 R 40.84

5.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$7.47 R 125

31.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.63 R 77.1

82.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$6.57 R 109

81.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$1.60 R 26.59

84.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$1.52 R 25.40

14.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$1.55 R 25.81

31.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$1.57 R 26.21

31.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$1.30 R 21.72

65.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$1.22 R 20.36

85.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$1.09 R 18.19

27.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$0.98 R 16.37

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$2.73 R 45.54

54.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$4.26 R 71.0

311.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$1.39 R 23.18

23.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$1.66 R 27.73

118.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

$1.62 R 26.96

-78.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$1.13 R 18.87

22.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$0.96 R 16.02

-70.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

$3.95 R 65.8

33.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$1.29 R 21.46

5.43%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$21.5K R 358.8K

-11.30%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$23.6K R 392.3K

0.23%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$118 R 1,965

-65.64%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$35.04 R 584

-21.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$40.95 R 682

-25.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

$30.54 R 509

70.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$6.74 R 112

-8.16%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$195 R 3,245

118.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$4,332 R 72.2K

147.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$50.7 R 844

15.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$32.44 R 540

37.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$88.9 R 1,480

16.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$78.9 R 1,314

37.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

$357 R 5,947

184.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$332 R 5,536

87.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

$686 R 11.4K

209.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$680 R 11.3K

79.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

$899 R 15.0K

321.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

$553 R 9,217

281.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

$552 R 9,189

90.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.51

-1.48%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Tembisa: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $357 in Tembisa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 91% 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 $34.00 in Tembisa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $175 per month, with Tembisa 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 Tembisa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tembisa differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $989 including rent). Tembisa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 91% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $357 in Tembisa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $195 in Tembisa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tembisa – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $989 in Tembisa versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tembisa but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tembisa 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 Tembisa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.