Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tsushima Island Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tsushima Island

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,224 in Tsushima Island.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,906 in Tsushima Island.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,589 in Tsushima Island.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 19% more expensive than in Tsushima Island, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$6.75 ¥1,097

93.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$34.63 ¥5,627

55.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.50 ¥894

76.00%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.10 ¥504

20.65%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.09 ¥177

48.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.81 ¥132

43.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.09 ¥340

54.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.19 ¥518

48.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.58 ¥257

4.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.64 ¥266

67.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$4.82 ¥782

-61.20%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.19 ¥356

14.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$9.91 ¥1,610

2.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.22 ¥1,010

32.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$15.44 ¥2,509

-23.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$5.29 ¥860

-43.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$2.65 ¥431

-31.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$4.10 ¥665

-51.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$4.64 ¥754

-56.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$3.33 ¥541

-37.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$2.58 ¥420

-12.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.38 ¥225

5.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.88 ¥144

22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.13 ¥672

5.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$6.65 ¥1,081

155.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.92 ¥312

-9.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.34 ¥381

52.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.66 ¥269

-76.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$55.3 ¥8,983

-66.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$3.41 ¥555

-61.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$3.02 ¥491

-90.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$21.15 ¥3,437

-75.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.25 ¥202

7.20%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$23.2K ¥3.8M

-16.47%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$17.4K ¥2.8M

37.32%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$140 ¥22.7K

-70.93%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$27.46 ¥4,462

-2.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$34.02 ¥5,527

-10.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$58.2 ¥9,459

-9.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$13.81 ¥2,243

92.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$12.96 ¥2,105

-49.77%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$279 ¥45.4K

53.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-20.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$43.55 ¥7,076

31.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$29.44 ¥4,783

54.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$59.5 ¥9,668

74.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$91.7 ¥14.9K

17.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$461 ¥74.8K

117.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$328 ¥53.2K

90.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$865 ¥140.6K

143.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$647 ¥105.1K

88.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,863 ¥465.2K

35.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$2,102 ¥341.6K

-3.31%

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 Tsushima Island: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $461 in Tsushima Island. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $35.00 in Tsushima Island. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $308, 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 Tsushima Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tsushima Island differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,224 including rent). Tsushima Island 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 $1,836 in Tsushima Island 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 $461 in Tsushima Island. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tsushima Island runs roughly 196% 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 $279 in Tsushima Island. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,224 in Tsushima Island versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tsushima Island but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tsushima Island 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 Tsushima Island 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 Tsushima Island gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.