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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,315 in Tsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $2,050 in Tsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,784 in Tsu.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 26% more expensive than in Tsu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Tsu is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$6.36 ¥993

87.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$18.04 ¥2,817

186.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$3.82 ¥596

198.69%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$2.46 ¥384

62.20%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.18 ¥184

40.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.65 ¥101

104.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$2.10 ¥328

65.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$2.30 ¥358

156.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.60 ¥250

17.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.34 ¥210

142.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$5.71 ¥891

-62.17%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.07 ¥323

40.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$13.10 ¥2,046

-1.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$9.91 ¥1,548

1.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$33.12 ¥5,173

-52.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$5.13 ¥801

-35.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$3.59 ¥561

-44.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$3.18 ¥497

-30.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$4.27 ¥667

-44.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$3.94 ¥615

-47.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$3.54 ¥553

-46.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.27 ¥199

26.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$1.03 ¥161

35.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$3.53 ¥552

54.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$8.32 ¥1,300

112.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$2.08 ¥325

-0.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$1.56 ¥244

200.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$1.47 ¥230

-76.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$58.4 ¥9,117

-64.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$3.15 ¥492

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$3.14 ¥491

-82.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$27.01 ¥4,217

-78.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.04 ¥163

54.81%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$19.4K ¥3.0M

17.60%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$16.8K ¥2.6M

59.63%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$151 ¥23.6K

-56.83%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$24.90 ¥3,889

20.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$43.69 ¥6,823

-14.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$52.1 ¥8,129

14.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

$12.95 ¥2,022

105.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$8.45 ¥1,320

-16.69%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$329 ¥51.3K

41.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$6,202 ¥968.5K

114.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$50.9 ¥7,947

49.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$26.14 ¥4,082

114.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$47.63 ¥7,439

134.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$66.5 ¥10.4K

81.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$520 ¥81.1K

112.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$339 ¥53.0K

112.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$1,034 ¥161.4K

144.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$746 ¥116.4K

73.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$3,763 ¥587.7K

6.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$1,792 ¥279.9K

16.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$1,573 ¥245.6K

-34.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

1.9

494.74%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Tsu: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $520 in Tsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tsu pays 52% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $18.00 in Tsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $397, with Mexico City 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 Tsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tsu differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,315 including rent). Tsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 52% lower in Tsu. 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 $520 in Tsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tsu runs roughly 181% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $329 in Tsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,315 in Tsu versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tsu but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tsu 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 Tsu 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 Tsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.