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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,188 in Toyama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,866 in Toyama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,543 in Toyama.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 23% more expensive than Toyama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Toyama is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$5.71 ¥913

130.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$41.63 ¥6,659

29.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.24 ¥678

122.17%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.07 ¥491

15.64%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.67 ¥108

141.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.64 ¥102

73.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.13 ¥341

46.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.04 ¥327

126.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.24 ¥198

37.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.80 ¥127

240.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$4.99 ¥798

-61.72%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.31 ¥370

9.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$6.41 ¥1,025

56.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.51 ¥561

130.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$15.29 ¥2,446

-24.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$5.88 ¥940

-49.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$3.14 ¥502

-42.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$3.97 ¥636

-49.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$6.01 ¥962

-66.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$3.26 ¥521

-34.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$4.35 ¥695

-47.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.35 ¥216

3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.63 ¥100

79.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.24 ¥679

0.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$9.29 ¥1,486

67.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.75 ¥281

0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.04 ¥327

76.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.39 ¥222

-72.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$56.4 ¥9,013

-65.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$3.37 ¥540

-59.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$3.30 ¥527

-91.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$21.77 ¥3,482

-74.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.20 ¥193

8.33%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$23.0K ¥3.7M

-18.63%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$18.3K ¥2.9M

26.59%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$145 ¥23.1K

-71.75%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$27.48 ¥4,396

-2.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$33.49 ¥5,356

-10.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$42.17 ¥6,746

23.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$13.60 ¥2,175

97.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$12.55 ¥2,008

-49.80%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$137 ¥22.0K

217.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$13.7K ¥2.2M

-23.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$42.39 ¥6,781

33.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$29.83 ¥4,771

48.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$60.1 ¥9,610

71.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$110 ¥17.5K

-3.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$262 ¥41.9K

290.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$343 ¥54.9K

83.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$704 ¥112.6K

203.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$655 ¥104.7K

89.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$4,182 ¥669.0K

-6.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$2,569 ¥410.9K

-19.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Toyama: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $262 in Toyama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $42.00 in Toyama. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $289, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 23% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,188 including rent). Toyama 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 $1,783 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $262 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 194% 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 $137 in Toyama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,188 in Toyama versus $1,467 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 23% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.