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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,231 in Tsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,857 in Tsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,483 in Tsu.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 18% more expensive than in Tsu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Tsu is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$6.96 ¥1,131

87.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$19.23 ¥3,125

179.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.24 ¥689

128.30%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.24 ¥526

15.43%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.14 ¥185

42.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.71 ¥115

63.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.84 ¥462

13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$4.40 ¥715

7.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.60 ¥259

3.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.43 ¥233

92.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$4.81 ¥781

-61.12%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.46 ¥399

1.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$10.75 ¥1,746

-5.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.58 ¥1,068

25.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$19.22 ¥3,123

-38.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$3.55 ¥577

-15.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$2.13 ¥347

-15.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.49 ¥405

-19.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$4.31 ¥700

-53.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.73 ¥280

20.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.25 ¥203

81.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.37 ¥222

6.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.90 ¥146

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.95 ¥641

10.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$9.40 ¥1,528

80.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$2.11 ¥342

-18.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.91 ¥472

23.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.61 ¥262

-75.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$56.5 ¥9,184

-66.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$4.43 ¥720

-69.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$3.39 ¥551

-91.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$23.34 ¥3,791

-77.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.23 ¥200

8.94%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$22.7K ¥3.7M

-14.56%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$17.2K ¥2.8M

38.77%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$133 ¥21.7K

-69.50%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$26.56 ¥4,315

1.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$30.61 ¥4,974

-0.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$56.6 ¥9,196

-6.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$13.81 ¥2,244

92.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$12.41 ¥2,017

-47.54%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$68.8 ¥11.2K

521.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$10.5K ¥1.7M

-0.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$44.16 ¥7,175

29.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$29.57 ¥4,804

53.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$67.7 ¥11.0K

53.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$94.8 ¥15.4K

13.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$463 ¥75.2K

116.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$325 ¥52.8K

91.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$859 ¥139.6K

145.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$664 ¥107.8K

83.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$4,866 ¥790.6K

-20.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$2,303 ¥374.2K

-11.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

1.81

526.52%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Tsu: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $463 in Tsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Tsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $303, 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 18% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,231 including rent). Tsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,847 in Tsu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $463 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 202% 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 $68.8 in Tsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,231 in Tsu versus $1,456 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 18% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.