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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,155 in Tsukuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,866 in Tsukuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,577 in Tsukuba.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Tsukuba is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$4.12 ¥669

217.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$36.67 ¥5,958

46.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.71 ¥928

69.53%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.82 ¥457

32.62%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.89 ¥145

82.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.75 ¥121

54.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.92 ¥312

68.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.10 ¥503

52.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.57 ¥255

5.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.74 ¥283

58.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$2.48 ¥402

-24.60%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.22 ¥360

12.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$8.07 ¥1,312

26.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.10 ¥992

35.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$11.17 ¥1,814

5.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$5.85 ¥950

-48.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$3.09 ¥503

-41.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$3.96 ¥643

-49.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$2.10 ¥341

-4.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$3.23 ¥524

-35.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$3.42 ¥556

-33.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.07 ¥174

36.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.83 ¥136

30.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.89 ¥633

11.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$8.99 ¥1,460

88.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.81 ¥293

-4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.13 ¥346

68.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$2.49 ¥405

-84.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$54.5 ¥8,851

-65.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$3.38 ¥550

-60.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$2.96 ¥481

-90.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$22.57 ¥3,668

-76.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.22 ¥199

9.84%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$22.0K ¥3.6M

-11.64%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$15.1K ¥2.5M

57.53%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$143 ¥23.2K

-71.52%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$27.48 ¥4,464

-2.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$34.06 ¥5,534

-10.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$59.5 ¥9,670

-11.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$14.00 ¥2,275

90.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$13.76 ¥2,236

-52.69%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$141 ¥22.9K

203.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$12.1K ¥2.0M

-12.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$40.95 ¥6,654

39.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$29.33 ¥4,765

55.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$41.63 ¥6,764

149.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$96.3 ¥15.6K

11.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$518 ¥84.1K

93.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$316 ¥51.4K

97.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$1,186 ¥192.8K

77.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$692 ¥112.4K

76.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$3,959 ¥643.2K

-1.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$2,109 ¥342.7K

-3.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,395 ¥226.6K

-25.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

467.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Tsukuba: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $518 in Tsukuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tsukuba pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $37.00 in Tsukuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $276 per month, with Tsukuba 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 Tsukuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tsukuba differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,155 including rent). Tsukuba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Tsukuba. 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $518 in Tsukuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tsukuba runs roughly 191% 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 $141 in Tsukuba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,155 in Tsukuba versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tsukuba but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tsukuba 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 Tsukuba 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 Tsukuba 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.