Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tottori

For one person, living is cheaper in Tottori: $1,174 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,548
/mo nomad
Tottori
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,174
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Tottori

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Tottori actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,174 in Tottori.

  • Mexico City $1,548
  • Tottori $1,174

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,879 in Tottori.

  • Mexico City $2,436
  • Tottori $1,879

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $2,584 in Tottori.

  • Mexico City $3,323
  • Tottori $2,584

Living in Mexico City is roughly 32% more expensive than in Tottori, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Tottori is 13% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Tottori
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.02 MX$204
$9.48 ¥1,498
16.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.68 MX$900
$32.02 ¥5,059
52.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.90 MX$201
$4.97 ¥786
119.32%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$3.25 ¥513
13.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 MX$30.18
$0.88 ¥139
85.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 MX$23.07
$0.74 ¥116
68.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.25 MX$60.1
$3.06 ¥484
6.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.53 MX$102
$5.70 ¥901
-2.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Tottori
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 MX$31.50
$1.51 ¥239
12.58%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$1.00 ¥159
202.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.53
$5.67 ¥895
-66.14%
Eggs
$2.73 MX$50.5
$2.05 ¥323
33.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.77 MX$218
$8.58 ¥1,356
37.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 MX$176
$7.17 ¥1,132
32.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.41 MX$266
$11.67 ¥1,843
23.48%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$4.24 ¥670
-28.77%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.01
$2.23 ¥352
-15.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.70
$4.60 ¥727
-56.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.19 MX$40.38
$3.36 ¥531
-34.82%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.43
$1.86 ¥294
3.23%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 MX$34.49
$1.66 ¥262
12.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 MX$26.62
$1.19 ¥188
21.01%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.39
$0.90 ¥142
41.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.22 MX$96.4
$3.77 ¥595
38.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.17 MX$299
$7.71 ¥1,217
109.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 MX$35.03
$1.62 ¥257
17.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.22 MX$78.0
$2.54 ¥401
66.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Tottori
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 MX$6.30
$1.08 ¥171
-68.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.65 MX$363
$54.2 ¥8,556
-63.71%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.90
$3.27 ¥517
-38.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.52 MX$9.67
$3.88 ¥614
-86.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.34 MX$98.7
$12.25 ¥1,936
-56.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.13
$1.05 ¥167
44.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K MX$408.0K
$20.9K ¥3.3M
5.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$452.9K
$14.9K ¥2.3M
64.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Tottori
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.1 MX$1,129
$102 ¥16.1K
-39.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.58 MX$528
$24.06 ¥3,801
18.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.47 MX$637
$31.13 ¥4,918
10.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Tottori
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,042
$52.0 ¥8,209
8.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.88 MX$460
$12.73 ¥2,010
95.44%
Cinema Ticket
$6.66 MX$123
$12.06 ¥1,905
-44.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Tottori
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$427 MX$7,891
$322 ¥50.8K
32.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K MX$215.0K
$6,609 ¥1.0M
76.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Tottori
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 MX$1,253
$34.45 ¥5,442
96.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.0 MX$960
$23.36 ¥3,690
122.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 MX$1,959
$49.17 ¥7,768
115.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 MX$2,080
$96.0 ¥15.2K
17.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Tottori
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,025 MX$18.9K
$272 ¥42.9K
277.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$654 MX$12.1K
$330 ¥52.2K
98.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,308 MX$42.7K
$1,117 ¥176.5K
106.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,242 MX$22.9K
$743 ¥117.4K
67.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,613 MX$66.8K
$4,580 ¥723.6K
-21.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,936 MX$35.8K
$1,833 ¥289.6K
5.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Tottori
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$964 MX$17.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
1.74
549.43%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Tottori: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$654
Tottori
$330 49.5% $324
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$318
Tottori
$275 13.4% $43
Eating Out
Mexico City
$204
Tottori
$163 20.1% $41
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$152
Tottori
$91 40% $61
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$124
Tottori
$157 26.5% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Tottori
$76 9.2% $6.4
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Tottori
$81 217% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $272 in Tottori. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $32.00 in Tottori for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $275 per month, with Tottori cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇯🇵 Tottori
🕒 Local time
22:57 10:57 PM
13:57 1:57 PM
15 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
193,717
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Tottori 11,720 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Tottori

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tottori: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Mexico City and in Tottori?
Mexico City and Tottori differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $1,174 including rent). Tottori is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Mexico City compared to Tottori?
You'd need roughly $2,322 in Mexico City and $1,761 in Tottori 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Mexico City and in Tottori?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $272 in Tottori. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Mexico City and in Tottori?
A monthly transit pass in Tottori runs roughly 176% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Mexico City and Tottori?
Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $322 in Tottori. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,174 in Tottori versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tottori but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tottori the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Tottori?
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.
Is Mexico City or Tottori safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Mexico City and Tottori are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Mexico City or Tottori?
Expats usually find Tottori gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Mexico City vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?