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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,211 in Tsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,868 in Tsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,526 in Tsu.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 21% more expensive than Tsu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$7.07 ¥1,131

86.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$19.08 ¥3,052

182.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.15 ¥663

126.99%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.31 ¥530

7.25%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.08 ¥172

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.72 ¥115

54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.83 ¥452

10.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$4.41 ¥706

4.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.57 ¥252

8.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.49 ¥239

82.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$4.71 ¥753

-59.45%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.42 ¥388

4.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$10.44 ¥1,670

-3.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.22 ¥995

30.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$19.12 ¥3,059

-39.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$3.60 ¥577

-17.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$2.12 ¥339

-14.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$2.60 ¥417

-22.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$4.54 ¥726

-55.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.65 ¥263

28.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.30 ¥208

74.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.38 ¥220

1.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.83 ¥133

36.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.97 ¥634

7.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$9.57 ¥1,531

62.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.13 ¥341

-17.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$3.02 ¥483

19.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.59 ¥254

-76.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$54.5 ¥8,711

-64.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$4.46 ¥714

-69.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$3.31 ¥530

-91.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$23.36 ¥3,736

-76.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.19 ¥190

9.24%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

-20.74%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$16.9K ¥2.7M

37.14%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$134 ¥21.5K

-69.58%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$26.99 ¥4,318

-0.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$29.90 ¥4,782

0.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$55.3 ¥8,838

-5.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$13.98 ¥2,236

91.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$12.67 ¥2,027

-50.28%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$70.3 ¥11.2K

520.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$10.3K ¥1.6M

1.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$44.83 ¥7,171

26.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$29.22 ¥4,674

51.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$68.5 ¥11.0K

50.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$94.2 ¥15.1K

12.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$474 ¥75.7K

115.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$336 ¥53.7K

88.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$866 ¥138.5K

146.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$669 ¥107.0K

85.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$4,402 ¥704.1K

-11.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$2,430 ¥388.6K

-15.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tsu: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $474 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 $288 vs $302, 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 21% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,211 including rent). Tsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,816 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $474 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 184% 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 $70.3 in Tsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,211 in Tsu versus $1,467 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 21% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.