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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,682 in Mexico City versus $745 in Timbo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,599 in Mexico City versus $1,189 in Timbo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,516 in Mexico City versus $1,633 in Timbo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 126% more expensive than in Timbo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 23% above, Timbo is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 MX$200

$4.78 R$24.84

147.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$884

$38.59 R$200

35.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 MX$184

$3.95 R$20.49

175.19%

Cappuccino

$4.03 MX$68.2

$1.88 R$9.77

114.36%

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

$1.71 MX$28.99

$1.04 R$5.38

64.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.70

$0.70 R$3.62

91.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$1.87 R$9.69

81.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 MX$97.3

$2.33 R$12.10

146.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$31.99

$0.85 R$4.39

122.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.41 R$7.34

124.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.74

$0.85 R$4.39

141.18%

Eggs

$3.01 MX$51.1

$1.74 R$9.02

72.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 MX$214

$7.61 R$39.51

65.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 MX$169

$3.31 R$17.21

200.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 MX$271

$7.31 R$37.94

118.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 MX$55.6

$1.65 R$8.59

98.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.87

$0.65 R$3.39

216.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.36

$0.76 R$3.94

175.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 MX$42.44

$1.11 R$5.77

125.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.76

$0.77 R$4.00

166.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.70

$0.68 R$3.52

175.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$26.66

$0.61 R$3.17

157.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.64

$0.82 R$4.26

69.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 MX$91.2

$1.53 R$7.94

251.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 MX$304

$4.88 R$25.33

267.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$34.31

$1.04 R$5.39

94.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 MX$80.7

$1.96 R$10.17

142.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MX$6.13

$0.91 R$4.75

-60.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.80 MX$353

$43.01 R$223

-51.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$34.92

$1.27 R$6.60

62.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.55

$0.80 R$4.18

-30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 MX$98.6

$5.69 R$29.54

2.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.05

$1.01 R$5.22

52.48%

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

$22.5K MX$380.6K

$22.5K R$116.9K

-0.25%

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

$26.5K MX$448.7K

$25.7K R$133.5K

2.96%

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

$66.0 MX$1,118

$54.4 R$282

21.36%

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

$30.98 MX$525

$12.55 R$65.2

146.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.20 MX$613

$22.28 R$116

62.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 MX$975

$24.79 R$129

132.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.75 MX$453

$25.14 R$131

6.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.13 MX$121

$5.62 R$29.20

26.87%

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

$457 MX$7,738

$230 R$1,194

98.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MX$224.5K

$2,793 R$14.5K

374.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 MX$1,285

$30.90 R$160

145.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 MX$917

$39.19 R$204

38.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MX$1,974

$58.7 R$305

98.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,063

$48.93 R$254

148.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 MX$19.4K

$342 R$1,777

235.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 MX$12.3K

$232 R$1,206

212.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 MX$42.4K

$639 R$3,319

291.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 MX$22.6K

$438 R$2,272

204.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,895 MX$66.0K

$1,615 R$8,387

141.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 MX$36.4K

$1,120 R$5,815

91.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$667 R$3,462

60.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

3.18%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Last update for Timbo: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,147 in Mexico City and $342 in Timbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 60% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $39.00 in Timbo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $150 per month, with Timbo 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 Timbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Timbo differ by about 126% in total monthly costs ($1,682 vs $745 including rent). Timbo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 60% 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: $1,147 in Mexico City versus $342 in Timbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Timbo runs roughly 107% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $457 in Mexico City versus $230 in Timbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $745 in Timbo versus $1,682 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Timbo but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Timbo 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 Timbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.