Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Trujillo

For one person, living is cheaper in Trujillo: $867 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,567
/mo nomad
Trujillo
🇵🇪 Peru
$867
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Trujillo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Trujillo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $867 in Trujillo.

  • Mexico City $1,567
  • Trujillo $867

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $1,340 in Trujillo.

  • Mexico City $2,450
  • Trujillo $1,340

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $1,814 in Trujillo.

  • Mexico City $3,333
  • Trujillo $1,814

Living in Mexico City is roughly 81% more expensive than in Trujillo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Trujillo is 36% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Trujillo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.75 MX$199
$3.50 PEN 12.01
207.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.3 MX$929
$23.64 PEN 81.2
112.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.10 MX$205
$7.01 PEN 24.07
58.35%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$3.25 PEN 11.17
13.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 MX$30.42
$0.89 PEN 3.06
85.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.08
$0.62 PEN 2.12
109.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.32 MX$61.3
$1.98 PEN 6.81
67.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 MX$102
$3.46 PEN 11.89
60.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Trujillo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.77 MX$32.68
$1.31 PEN 4.50
35.11%
White Bread (500g)
$3.05 MX$56.4
$2.06 PEN 7.08
48.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.20
$1.14 PEN 3.92
76.32%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$51.1
$3.98 PEN 13.68
-30.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.91 MX$220
$7.81 PEN 26.82
52.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 MX$172
$6.54 PEN 22.46
42.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.02 MX$278
$9.20 PEN 31.61
63.26%
Apples (1kg)
$3.08 MX$56.8
$1.67 PEN 5.74
84.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.97
$0.61 PEN 2.08
219.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.54
$0.60 PEN 2.06
238.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.21 MX$40.92
$0.89 PEN 3.07
148.31%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.41
$1.00 PEN 3.42
102.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.67
$1.14 PEN 3.90
59.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$1.24 PEN 4.24
22.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.65
$1.14 PEN 3.93
12.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.27 MX$97.4
$4.22 PEN 14.49
24.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.12 MX$298
$5.72 PEN 19.66
181.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 MX$36.05
$1.71 PEN 5.88
14.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$78.6
$1.63 PEN 5.61
160.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Trujillo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.82
$0.57 PEN 1.94
-45.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.85 MX$367
$17.65 PEN 60.6
12.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.93
$2.53 PEN 8.68
-20.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.86
$2.21 PEN 7.58
-76.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.62 MX$104
$5.98 PEN 20.55
-6.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$1.70 PEN 5.84
-10.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$388.7K
$17.5K PEN 60.2K
20.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K MX$465.3K
$27.8K PEN 95.3K
-9.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Trujillo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.5 MX$1,155
$97.9 PEN 336
-36.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.77 MX$532
$12.84 PEN 44.08
124.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.45 MX$637
$27.05 PEN 92.9
27.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Trujillo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,055
$39.49 PEN 136
44.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.81 MX$458
$5.79 PEN 19.89
328.50%
Cinema Ticket
$6.67 MX$123
$4.40 PEN 15.11
51.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Trujillo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$431 MX$7,964
$107 PEN 369
301.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.7K MX$216.9K
$2,078 PEN 7,136
464.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Trujillo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.8 MX$1,308
$71.8 PEN 247
-1.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.8 MX$958
$14.35 PEN 49.28
261.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 MX$2,011
$46.03 PEN 158
136.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 MX$2,076
$43.97 PEN 151
155.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Trujillo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,051 MX$19.4K
$384 PEN 1,319
173.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 MX$12.3K
$253 PEN 869
162.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,346 MX$43.3K
$744 PEN 2,555
215.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,227 MX$22.7K
$512 PEN 1,758
139.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,554 MX$65.7K
$1,177 PEN 4,043
201.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,977 MX$36.5K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Trujillo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$975 MX$18.0K
$548 PEN 1,884
77.70%
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: October 11, 2026

Last update for Trujillo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$665
Trujillo
$253 62% $412
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$323
Trujillo
$204 36.8% $119
Eating Out
Mexico City
$203
Trujillo
$111 45.4% $92
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$155
Trujillo
$79 48.8% $75
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Trujillo
$138 9.6% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Trujillo
$48 31.4% $22
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Trujillo
$33 29.8% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Mexico City and $384 in Trujillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 78% 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: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $24.00 in Trujillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $204 per month, with Trujillo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇵🇪 Trujillo
🕒 Local time
23:51 11:51 PM
00:51 12:51 AM
1 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
314,939
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Trujillo 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Trujillo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Mexico City and in Trujillo?
Mexico City and Trujillo differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($1,567 vs $867 including rent). Trujillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Mexico City or Trujillo?
Average pay runs 78% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Mexico City and in Trujillo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $384 in Trujillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Mexico City and in Trujillo?
A monthly transit pass in Trujillo runs roughly 12% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Mexico City and Trujillo?
Childcare runs $431 in Mexico City versus $107 in Trujillo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $867 in Trujillo versus $1,567 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.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Trujillo?
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.
Where should expats move: Mexico City or Trujillo?
Expats usually find Trujillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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