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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,157 in Toluca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,877 in Toluca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,597 in Toluca.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 27% more expensive than in Toluca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Toluca is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$9.19 MX$159

42.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$42.15 MX$729

27.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$7.82 MX$135

19.31%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.87 MX$49.66

28.92%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.16 MX$20.07

37.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.82 MX$14.25

36.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.09 MX$36.13

50.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$3.38 MX$58.5

43.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.37 MX$23.73

20.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$3.35 MX$57.9

-19.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.95 MX$33.65

-2.05%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.53 MX$43.76

2.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$5.86 MX$101

67.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$10.10 MX$175

-16.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$11.74 MX$203

1.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$4.06 MX$70.3

-27.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.72 MX$29.83

1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.91 MX$33.08

6.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$2.25 MX$39.00

-8.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$2.48 MX$42.96

-13.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$2.39 MX$41.37

-5.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.87 MX$32.44

-25.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.01 MX$17.51

10.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$5.03 MX$87.1

-16.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$12.96 MX$224

35.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.96 MX$33.94

-12.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$3.22 MX$55.7

12.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.65 MX$11.26

-46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$3.12 MX$54.0

-55.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$2.19 MX$37.94

-87.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$8.06 MX$140

-34.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.25 MX$21.56

8.80%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$27.9K MX$482.5K

-31.50%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$28.7K MX$497.0K

-17.82%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$47.26 MX$818

-14.24%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$21.45 MX$371

27.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$35.26 MX$610

-13.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$51.5 MX$890

1.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$22.41 MX$388

18.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$7.07 MX$122

-12.45%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$171 MX$2,954

148.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$5,137 MX$88.9K

108.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$55.2 MX$954

5.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$61.2 MX$1,059

-27.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$94.9 MX$1,642

9.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$102 MX$1,756

7.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$658 MX$11.4K

54.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$378 MX$6,532

64.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$941 MX$16.3K

125.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$744 MX$12.9K

64.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$1,359 MX$23.5K

179.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$953 MX$16.5K

121.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$1,311 MX$22.7K

-19.72%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Toluca: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $658 in Toluca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toluca pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $42.00 in Toluca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $292 per month, with Toluca 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 Toluca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Toluca differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,157 including rent). Toluca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Toluca. 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $658 in Toluca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $171 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 $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,157 in Toluca versus $1,472 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 27% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.