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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $784 in Trujillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,170 in Trujillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,557 in Trujillo.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Trujillo is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.21 PEN 10.91

310.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$13.85 PEN 47.14

289.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.75 PEN 22.96

39.56%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.88 PEN 9.81

23.26%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.89 PEN 3.04

82.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.57 PEN 1.95

94.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.99 PEN 6.77

56.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.34 PEN 11.37

38.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.01 PEN 3.42

68.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.83 PEN 6.24

48.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.14 PEN 3.88

67.54%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$3.85 PEN 13.11

-34.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.53 PEN 22.22

23.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.62 PEN 25.94

52.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.13 PEN 3.85

162.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$0.58 PEN 1.96

212.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$0.58 PEN 1.96

246.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$0.76 PEN 2.58

167.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.93 PEN 3.18

127.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$0.81 PEN 2.74

180.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.89 PEN 3.03

57.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.86 PEN 2.94

31.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.05 PEN 13.77

5.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$5.77 PEN 19.63

169.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.42 PEN 4.83

23.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.70 PEN 5.80

111.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.59 PEN 2.00

-35.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$16.72 PEN 56.9

14.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$2.75 PEN 9.35

-49.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$2.05 PEN 6.97

-86.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$5.52 PEN 18.79

-1.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.36 PEN 4.62

-4.41%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$16.9K PEN 57.7K

10.26%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$26.6K PEN 90.4K

-12.92%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$74.4 PEN 253

-45.05%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$8.19 PEN 27.85

227.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$20.99 PEN 71.4

42.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$35.41 PEN 120

46.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$5.65 PEN 19.21

375.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.07 PEN 13.84

54.79%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$106 PEN 360

312.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$2,029 PEN 6,902

413.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$69.7 PEN 237

-18.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$13.96 PEN 47.48

217.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$33.78 PEN 115

204.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$32.69 PEN 111

222.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$366 PEN 1,246

179.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$254 PEN 865

148.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$602 PEN 2,047

254.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$477 PEN 1,624

160.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,138 PEN 3,872

242.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$834 PEN 2,837

147.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$539 PEN 1,834

106.80%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Trujillo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $366 in Trujillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 107% 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 $288 vs $160 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 ($1,467 vs $784 including rent). Trujillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 107% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $366 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 15% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $106 in Trujillo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $784 in Trujillo versus $1,467 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.