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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,183 in Toluca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,977 in Toluca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,772 in Toluca.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 40% more expensive than in Toluca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Toluca is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$11.48 MX$198

3.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$46.96 MX$810

9.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$8.86 MX$153

28.78%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$3.47 MX$59.8

14.99%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$1.29 MX$22.19

28.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.80 MX$13.78

66.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.10 MX$36.24

65.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.55 MX$61.2

66.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.85 MX$31.86

1.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$3.32 MX$57.3

-2.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$2.35 MX$40.55

-8.09%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$3.25 MX$56.1

-10.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$8.58 MX$148

49.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$9.07 MX$156

10.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$9.76 MX$168

62.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$4.49 MX$77.3

-26.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$2.08 MX$35.78

-3.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$2.35 MX$40.46

-6.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$2.37 MX$40.82

-0.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$2.96 MX$51.1

-30.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$2.53 MX$43.57

-24.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.81 MX$31.19

-11.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.06 MX$18.19

32.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$5.07 MX$87.3

7.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$13.17 MX$227

34.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$2.04 MX$35.23

0.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$4.01 MX$69.2

16.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.76 MX$13.12

-55.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$3.60 MX$62.0

-41.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$2.03 MX$35.05

-72.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$10.71 MX$185

-45.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.55 MX$26.73

3.87%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$28.8K MX$496.2K

-20.64%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$25.1K MX$433.5K

6.39%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$60.7 MX$1,046

7.40%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$27.11 MX$467

10.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$34.97 MX$603

6.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$51.9 MX$895

15.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$24.42 MX$421

8.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$7.46 MX$129

-5.63%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$238 MX$4,107

95.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$5,498 MX$94.8K

141.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$69.8 MX$1,203

8.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$58.8 MX$1,014

-4.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$111 MX$1,910

0.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$111 MX$1,922

8.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$767 MX$13.2K

43.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$308 MX$5,304

134.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$1,030 MX$17.8K

145.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$775 MX$13.4K

66.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$1,398 MX$24.1K

185.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$975 MX$16.8K

114.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$1,339 MX$23.1K

-22.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.07

2.08%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Toluca: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $767 in Toluca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toluca pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $47.00 in Toluca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $309 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 40% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,183 including rent). Toluca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 29% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $767 in Toluca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $238 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 $47.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,183 in Toluca versus $1,660 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 40% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.