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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $779 in Trujillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,173 in Trujillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,567 in Trujillo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 87% more expensive than in Trujillo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Trujillo is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$3.24 PEN 10.99

303.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$13.70 PEN 46.43

292.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$6.73 PEN 22.80

43.83%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.98 PEN 10.08

25.50%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.89 PEN 3.02

82.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.59 PEN 2.00

96.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.92 PEN 6.51

68.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.30 PEN 11.17

43.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.05 PEN 3.55

57.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.77 PEN 6.01

55.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.13 PEN 3.81

65.49%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$3.88 PEN 13.14

-35.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.47 PEN 21.94

27.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$7.52 PEN 25.47

57.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.17 PEN 3.97

157.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$0.58 PEN 1.96

212.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$0.58 PEN 1.95

244.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$0.71 PEN 2.40

181.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.92 PEN 3.13

126.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.82 PEN 2.78

176.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.91 PEN 3.09

60.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.92 PEN 3.11

17.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.27 PEN 14.48

1.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$5.79 PEN 19.61

193.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.41 PEN 4.76

22.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.65 PEN 5.59

116.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.64 PEN 2.16

-39.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$16.38 PEN 55.5

14.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$2.80 PEN 9.48

-52.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.99 PEN 6.74

-85.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$5.66 PEN 19.20

-7.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.36 PEN 4.61

-1.47%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$16.9K PEN 57.2K

14.91%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$26.2K PEN 88.8K

-9.03%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$76.6 PEN 259

-46.85%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$8.48 PEN 28.75

216.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$21.22 PEN 71.9

43.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$36.00 PEN 122

46.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$5.39 PEN 18.28

394.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$4.16 PEN 14.09

56.49%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$102 PEN 346

319.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$1,963 PEN 6,653

434.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$70.8 PEN 240

-19.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$14.00 PEN 47.43

225.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$32.71 PEN 111

218.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$32.74 PEN 111

229.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$365 PEN 1,237

174.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$257 PEN 870

142.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$602 PEN 2,040

250.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$489 PEN 1,657

149.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,138 PEN 3,856

241.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$821 PEN 2,783

147.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$524 PEN 1,777

97.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

12.7

-10.71%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Trujillo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $365 in Trujillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 98% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $14.00 in Trujillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $159 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 87% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $779 including rent). Trujillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 98% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $365 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 14% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $102 in Trujillo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $779 in Trujillo versus $1,456 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 87% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.