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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $903 in Trujillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,357 in Trujillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $1,811 in Trujillo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 82% more expensive than in Trujillo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Trujillo is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$3.64 PEN 12.21

232.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$24.00 PEN 80.5

117.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$7.31 PEN 24.51

49.11%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$3.32 PEN 11.15

21.99%

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

$1.72 MX$28.99

$0.97 PEN 3.26

77.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.28

$0.61 PEN 2.05

126.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$2.04 PEN 6.83

70.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$3.56 PEN 11.93

63.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.32

$1.41 PEN 4.74

31.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$2.12 PEN 7.12

51.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.24

$1.22 PEN 4.08

71.31%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.16

$4.22 PEN 14.16

-31.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$7.78 PEN 26.10

60.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$6.85 PEN 22.97

47.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$9.16 PEN 30.70

73.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$1.64 PEN 5.51

101.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.94

$0.57 PEN 1.92

273.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.02

$0.58 PEN 1.93

277.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.36

$0.86 PEN 2.89

184.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.99

$0.94 PEN 3.14

132.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.19

$1.18 PEN 3.94

61.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.30

$1.25 PEN 4.21

29.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.81

$1.12 PEN 3.75

20.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$4.50 PEN 15.10

20.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$5.96 PEN 19.98

195.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.95

$1.75 PEN 5.87

18.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$1.59 PEN 5.34

198.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.74

$0.61 PEN 2.05

-44.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$18.04 PEN 60.5

19.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.48

$2.60 PEN 8.72

-21.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$2.20 PEN 7.39

-73.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$5.85 PEN 19.62

2.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.30

$1.67 PEN 5.60

-2.99%

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

$18.0K PEN 60.3K

26.88%

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

$26.7K MX$450.6K

$28.6K PEN 95.8K

-6.64%

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

$65.2 MX$1,102

$100 PEN 336

-34.84%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$13.55 PEN 45.44

120.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$27.50 PEN 92.2

32.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$41.19 PEN 138

48.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$5.89 PEN 19.75

353.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$4.43 PEN 14.84

54.63%

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

$453 MX$7,662

$109 PEN 367

314.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$2,172 PEN 7,283

515.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$73.5 PEN 246

2.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$934

$15.14 PEN 50.8

265.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$47.31 PEN 159

140.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$44.86 PEN 150

173.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$400 PEN 1,341

183.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$257 PEN 862

177.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.4K

$768 PEN 2,574

234.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$523 PEN 1,752

150.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$1,183 PEN 3,967

237.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$536 PEN 1,796

95.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.7

-3.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Trujillo: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $400 in Trujillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 95% 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 $24.00 in Trujillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $208 per month, with Trujillo 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 Trujillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Trujillo differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $903 including rent). Trujillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 95% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $400 in Trujillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Trujillo runs roughly 20% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $109 in Trujillo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $903 in Trujillo versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Trujillo but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Trujillo 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.

Expats usually find Trujillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.