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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,732 in Tres Cantos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $2,493 in Tres Cantos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $3,254 in Tres Cantos.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 4% less than in Tres Cantos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 21% above, Tres Cantos 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$17.57 €15.32

-32.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$59.0 €51.4

-12.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$11.82 €10.30

-3.47%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$2.43 €2.12

64.20%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$2.48 €2.17

-33.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$1.86 €1.62

-28.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$3.51 €3.06

-1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.71 €3.23

59.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.22 €1.06

54.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.44 €1.26

125.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.69 €1.47

27.81%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$3.37 €2.94

-13.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$14.19 €12.37

-9.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$8.22 €7.16

22.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$16.46 €14.34

-3.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.55 €2.22

29.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$2.07 €1.80

-2.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$2.22 €1.93

-0.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$2.59 €2.26

-8.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.92 €1.68

6.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$2.17 €1.89

-12.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.43 €1.25

12.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.78 €0.68

79.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$6.51 €5.68

-16.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$5.85 €5.10

201.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.26 €1.10

63.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.17 €1.89

115.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$1.68 €1.46

-79.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$33.72 €29.40

-38.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$4.15 €3.62

-49.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$1.38 €1.20

-59.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$24.11 €21.02

-75.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.73 €1.51

-6.94%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$36.9K €32.2K

-38.12%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$30.7K €26.8K

-12.83%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$154 €134

-57.71%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$18.67 €16.28

61.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$31.40 €27.37

18.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$45.72 €39.85

30.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$16.97 €14.79

56.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$10.05 €8.76

-29.95%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$491 €428

-5.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$8,884 €7,744

49.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$87.3 €76.1

-13.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$36.90 €32.17

51.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$93.2 €81.2

20.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$111 €96.4

9.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$928 €809

18.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$702 €612

2.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$1,410 €1,229

79.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$1,052 €917

23.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$3,384 €2,950

17.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$2,330 €2,031

-10.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$3,347 €2,917

-69.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.3

242.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Tres Cantos: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $928 in Tres Cantos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tres Cantos pays 223% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $59.0 in Tres Cantos. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $274, 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 4% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,732 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 223% lower in Tres Cantos. 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $928 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 62% less than in Tres Cantos. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $491 in Tres Cantos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,732 in Tres Cantos, a $3,000 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 4% less than in Tres Cantos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.