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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $327 in Tongi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $538 in Tongi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $748 in Tongi.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 412% more expensive than in Tongi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Tongi is 76% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$2.05 ৳252

492.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$9.09 ৳1,117

492.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$4.80 ৳590

131.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 ৳337

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 ৳510

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$1.91 ৳235

114.66%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.32 ৳39.38

425.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.13 ৳15.36

969.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$0.74 ৳91.4

150.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.50 ৳61.1

534.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$0.59 ৳73.1

250.85%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$1.16 ৳143

152.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$7.91 ৳972

59.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$2.30 ৳282

339.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$6.15 ৳756

161.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.53 ৳311

33.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$0.83 ৳102

150.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$2.19 ৳269

-3.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$0.63 ৳76.8

282.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$0.25 ৳30.83

752.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$0.52 ৳63.8

286.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$0.45 ৳54.7

244.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.28 ৳34.03

385.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.50 ৳1,045

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 ৳319

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 ৳574

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$2.89 ৳355

99.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.42 ৳51.7

-11.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$0.83 ৳102

146.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.40 ৳48.85

45.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$2.79 ৳342

117.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.11 ৳136

39.64%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$29.9K ৳3.7M

-23.44%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$32.3K ৳4.0M

-15.75%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$30.12 ৳3,700

123.80%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$4.06 ৳499

654.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$8.22 ৳1,010

353.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$13.50 ৳1,659

355.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$3.61 ৳444

96.95%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$25.64 ৳3,150

1679.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$1,530 ৳188.0K

794.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$22.30 ৳2,739

232.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$23.86 ৳2,931

138.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$32.59 ৳4,003

254.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$33.54 ৳4,120

262.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$87.0 ৳10.7K

1219.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$52.0 ৳6,389

1263.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$169 ৳20.7K

1428.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$116 ৳14.3K

1015.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$690 ৳84.7K

480.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.44

8.24%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Tongi: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $87.0 in Tongi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $9.00 in Tongi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $110 per month, with Tongi 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 Tongi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tongi differ by about 412% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $327 including rent). Tongi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,515 in Mexico City and $491 in Tongi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $87.0 in Tongi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $25.64 in Tongi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tongi – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $327 in Tongi versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tongi but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tongi 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 Tongi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 412% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.