Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tres Cantos Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tres Cantos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,592 in Tres Cantos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $2,360 in Tres Cantos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $3,129 in Tres Cantos.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 9% less than in Tres Cantos, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 8% above, Tres Cantos 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$15.15 €13.05

-14.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$57.0 €49.08

-7.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$10.46 €9.01

-9.85%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.17 €1.87

64.52%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$2.44 €2.10

-34.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$1.71 €1.47

-32.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$3.53 €3.04

-10.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$3.37 €2.90

44.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.18 €1.02

44.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.38 €1.19

91.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.67 €1.44

13.77%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.80 €2.42

-9.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$13.43 €11.57

-24.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$8.66 €7.46

-4.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$15.19 €13.09

-23.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$2.45 €2.11

23.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.99 €1.71

-14.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.89 €1.63

8.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$2.66 €2.29

-22.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.72 €1.48

19.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.92 €1.65

13.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.38 €1.19

1.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.71 €0.61

57.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$6.15 €5.30

-30.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$5.33 €4.59

189.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.26 €1.09

32.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.10 €1.81

75.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.66 €1.43

-77.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$33.63 €28.97

-43.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$3.99 €3.44

-65.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$1.25 €1.08

-77.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$24.63 €21.22

-77.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.80 €1.55

-28.89%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$39.0K €33.6K

-51.34%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$30.5K €26.3K

-23.13%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$133 €115

-69.22%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$20.45 €17.62

31.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$32.01 €27.58

-7.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$47.01 €40.50

11.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$14.75 €12.71

77.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$9.20 €7.93

-32.83%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$411 €354

3.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$7,539 €6,495

41.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$83.8 €72.2

-32.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$36.20 €31.19

23.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$88.4 €76.2

18.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$107 €92.1

-0.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$864 €744

15.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$694 €598

-10.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$1,335 €1,150

59.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$1,000 €861

25.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$3,178 €2,738

22.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$2,322 €2,000

-9.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$3,341 €2,878

-66.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.5

224.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Tres Cantos: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $864 in Tres Cantos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tres Cantos pays 202% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $57.0 in Tres Cantos. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $262, with Tres Cantos 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 Tres Cantos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tres Cantos differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,592 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Tres Cantos earns 202% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Mexico City versus $864 in Tres Cantos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 76% less than in Tres Cantos. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $411 in Tres Cantos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,592 in Tres Cantos, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Tres Cantos. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Tres Cantos 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Tres Cantos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.