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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $319 in Tongi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $523 in Tongi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $726 in Tongi.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 360% more expensive than Tongi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Tongi is 76% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$1.69 ৳207

679.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$10.11 ৳1,239

433.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.84 ৳593

94.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 ৳512

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 ৳576

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.43 ৳175

148.25%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.35 ৳42.41

362.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.17 ৳20.46

552.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$0.66 ৳81.3

157.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.56 ৳69.1

385.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$0.62 ৳75.5

208.06%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.22 ৳150

108.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.00 ৳858

43.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$2.49 ৳306

224.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$5.20 ৳637

123.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.21 ৳271

34.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.00 ৳123

81.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.11 ৳258

-4.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$0.66 ৳80.6

207.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.26 ৳31.78

715.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$0.37 ৳45.69

513.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.33 ৳40.32

324.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.28 ৳34.69

303.57%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.07 ৳1,111

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 ৳274

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 ৳590

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.91 ৳357

46.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.20 ৳24.48

90.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$10.40 ৳1,274

84.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.81 ৳99.0

70.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.39 ৳48.23

-28.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.02 ৳247

169.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.99 ৳122

31.31%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$28.9K ৳3.5M

-35.39%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$27.8K ৳3.4M

-16.71%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$30.14 ৳3,693

35.57%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$4.70 ৳576

470.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$9.06 ৳1,110

230.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$13.51 ৳1,655

285.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$11.99 ৳1,469

123.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.19 ৳513

50.36%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$27.46 ৳3,364

1488.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$928 ৳113.6K

1022.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$16.00 ৳1,960

254.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$17.64 ৳2,162

151.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$33.04 ৳4,048

211.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$36.56 ৳4,479

188.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$70.1 ৳8,583

1358.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$42.05 ৳5,152

1400.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$165 ৳20.2K

1196.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$98.9 ৳12.1K

1156.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$761 ৳93.2K

413.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.29

10.20%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tongi: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $70.1 in Tongi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $10.00 in Tongi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $104 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 360% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $319 including rent). Tongi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $479 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $70.1 in Tongi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tongi runs roughly 84% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $27.46 in Tongi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $319 in Tongi versus $1,467 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 360% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.