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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,129 in Tembisa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,768 in Tembisa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,406 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 22% above, Tembisa is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$10.52 R 169

15.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$41.92 R 675

28.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$5.82 R 93.7

90.55%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.37 R 38.18

73.00%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.13 R 18.15

48.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.89 R 14.28

56.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$2.44 R 39.22

36.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.73 R 44.02

115.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.22 R 19.61

51.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.13 R 18.14

180.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.80 R 29.03

15.00%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.61 R 42.00

12.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$8.71 R 140

44.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$5.43 R 87.4

86.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$7.65 R 123

110.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$1.93 R 31.03

75.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.66 R 26.71

25.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.84 R 29.58

15.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.70 R 27.31

41.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.55 R 25.02

37.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.46 R 23.55

37.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.28 R 20.55

21.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$1.06 R 17.13

28.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$3.61 R 58.1

59.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$5.57 R 89.7

218.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.42 R 22.89

45.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$1.78 R 28.68

158.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$1.78 R 28.74

-79.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$0.60 R 9.63

241.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.95 R 15.22

-38.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$8.86 R 143

-31.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.51 R 24.25

2.65%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$39.5K R 635.9K

-42.07%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$34.8K R 560.5K

-21.75%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$144 R 2,318

-53.16%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$38.59 R 621

-20.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$37.91 R 611

-1.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$32.04 R 516

91.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$7.51 R 121

-5.33%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$257 R 4,138

77.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$5,205 R 83.8K

163.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$50.5 R 814

46.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$29.46 R 474

93.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$118 R 1,905

-2.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$83.8 R 1,350

44.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$418 R 6,728

174.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$370 R 5,953

91.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$693 R 11.2K

271.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$771 R 12.4K

67.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$890 R 14.3K

349.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$623 R 10.0K

241.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$582 R 9,370

85.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.73%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Tembisa: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $418 in Tembisa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 86% 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 $42.00 in Tembisa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $200 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 ($1,677 vs $1,129 including rent). Tembisa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 86% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $418 in Tembisa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $257 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 $42.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,129 in Tembisa versus $1,677 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.