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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $1,234 in Toyama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $1,900 in Toyama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $2,567 in Toyama.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 20% more expensive than in Toyama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Toyama is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$229

$5.67 ¥926

132.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$933

$41.20 ¥6,724

30.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$166

$4.08 ¥666

134.07%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$64.8

$3.18 ¥518

16.98%

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

$1.57 MX$27.28

$0.72 ¥117

118.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.12

$0.60 ¥97.8

93.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.4

$2.03 ¥331

56.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.6

$2.11 ¥344

119.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.68

$1.22 ¥199

40.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.54

$0.84 ¥138

211.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.87

$4.92 ¥803

-61.59%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.17

$2.18 ¥357

19.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$172

$6.18 ¥1,009

60.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$143

$3.48 ¥569

136.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$205

$15.38 ¥2,510

-23.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.1

$5.94 ¥970

-49.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.32

$3.20 ¥522

-43.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.09

$3.98 ¥649

-47.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.23

$6.01 ¥980

-67.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.06

$3.27 ¥534

-36.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$4.30 ¥701

-49.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.42

$1.38 ¥225

1.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.63 ¥102

69.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$71.7

$4.18 ¥682

-1.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$303

$9.30 ¥1,518

87.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.16

$1.74 ¥285

-3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.5

$2.03 ¥331

79.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.38 ¥226

-72.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$326

$54.5 ¥8,892

-65.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.13

$3.37 ¥550

-60.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.27

$3.27 ¥534

-90.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$95.9

$21.94 ¥3,580

-74.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$1.21 ¥198

8.26%

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

$19.2K MX$333.6K

$23.4K ¥3.8M

-18.08%

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

$23.7K MX$413.3K

$18.2K ¥3.0M

30.81%

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

$41.14 MX$716

$142 ¥23.1K

-70.94%

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

$27.74 MX$483

$27.43 ¥4,477

1.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$524

$34.03 ¥5,553

-11.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$935

$41.93 ¥6,843

28.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$452

$14.00 ¥2,284

85.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$113

$12.30 ¥2,007

-47.24%

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

$437 MX$7,599

$139 ¥22.7K

214.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.0K

$13.9K ¥2.3M

-24.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,015

$41.09 ¥6,706

41.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$798

$29.09 ¥4,747

57.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,765

$59.0 ¥9,633

71.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,854

$109 ¥17.8K

-2.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.5K

$259 ¥42.3K

287.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.0K

$347 ¥56.6K

82.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.4K

$698 ¥113.8K

207.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.7K

$665 ¥108.5K

87.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.2K

$4,665 ¥761.3K

-17.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.3K

$2,002 ¥326.7K

4.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

2.05

453.17%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Last update for Toyama: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $259 in Toyama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $41.00 in Toyama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $289 per month, with Toyama 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 Toyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Toyama differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,481 vs $1,234 including rent). Toyama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,222 in Mexico City and $1,850 in Toyama 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: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $259 in Toyama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Toyama runs roughly 191% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $437 in Mexico City versus $139 in Toyama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,234 in Toyama versus $1,481 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Toyama but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Toyama 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Toyama are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Toyama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.