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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,162 in Toluca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,869 in Toluca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,575 in Toluca.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 24% more expensive than Toluca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Toluca is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$9.20 MX$158

41.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$41.76 MX$717

25.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$7.82 MX$134

20.59%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.81 MX$48.19

27.05%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.12 MX$19.21

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.81 MX$13.85

41.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.18 MX$37.47

44.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$3.51 MX$60.3

38.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.37 MX$23.47

24.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$3.39 MX$58.2

-22.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.91 MX$32.79

-0.52%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.61 MX$44.85

-2.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$5.76 MX$98.9

75.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$9.87 MX$169

-16.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$11.82 MX$203

-2.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$4.07 MX$69.9

-25.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.63 MX$28.05

4.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.94 MX$33.25

5.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$2.24 MX$38.41

-8.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$2.49 MX$42.73

-17.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$2.36 MX$40.55

-8.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.80 MX$30.83

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$1.02 MX$17.54

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$4.96 MX$85.1

-13.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$13.32 MX$229

15.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.98 MX$34.06

-15.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$3.26 MX$56.0

13.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.62 MX$10.58

-38.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$3.20 MX$54.9

-56.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$2.28 MX$39.21

-87.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$8.15 MX$140

-33.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.25 MX$21.43

2.40%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$28.0K MX$480.5K

-32.21%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$27.7K MX$474.7K

-15.17%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$47.02 MX$807

-12.76%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$21.19 MX$364

27.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$34.94 MX$600

-15.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$50.9 MX$874

2.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$22.33 MX$383

17.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$7.05 MX$121

-12.34%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$167 MX$2,874

155.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$5,169 MX$88.7K

106.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$54.5 MX$935

4.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$61.7 MX$1,059

-27.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$94.1 MX$1,614

11.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$105 MX$1,798

1.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$644 MX$11.0K

54.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$379 MX$6,510

63.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$921 MX$15.8K

130.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$759 MX$13.0K

65.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$1,337 MX$23.0K

191.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$956 MX$16.4K

119.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$1,350 MX$23.2K

-18.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.12

1.98%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Toluca: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $644 in Toluca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toluca pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $42.00 in Toluca. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $292, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 Toluca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Toluca differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,162 including rent). Toluca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Toluca earns 22% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Mexico City versus $644 in Toluca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $167 in Toluca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Toluca – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,162 in Toluca versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Toluca but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Toluca 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 Toluca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.