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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,243 in Tsushima Island.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,932 in Tsushima Island.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,621 in Tsushima Island.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Tsushima Island is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.83 ¥1,092

92.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$34.63 ¥5,539

55.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.61 ¥897

67.91%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.09 ¥494

14.89%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.13 ¥181

43.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.79 ¥127

40.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.09 ¥335

49.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.16 ¥505

46.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.58 ¥253

7.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.60 ¥257

70.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$4.89 ¥781

-60.94%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.23 ¥357

13.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$10.24 ¥1,638

-2.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.14 ¥981

31.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$15.42 ¥2,466

-24.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$5.43 ¥868

-45.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$2.68 ¥429

-32.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$4.00 ¥640

-49.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$4.56 ¥729

-55.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$3.25 ¥519

-34.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$2.66 ¥425

-14.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.40 ¥223

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.87 ¥139

29.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.11 ¥658

3.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$6.52 ¥1,042

138.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.97 ¥315

-10.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.27 ¥364

58.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.60 ¥255

-76.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$54.5 ¥8,723

-64.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$3.39 ¥542

-59.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$2.96 ¥474

-90.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$20.49 ¥3,277

-73.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.23 ¥197

5.69%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$22.9K ¥3.7M

-18.50%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$17.0K ¥2.7M

36.23%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$141 ¥22.6K

-71.07%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$27.21 ¥4,352

-1.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$33.73 ¥5,394

-11.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$57.3 ¥9,164

-9.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$13.76 ¥2,201

95.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$13.09 ¥2,094

-51.87%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$283 ¥45.3K

53.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$13.3K ¥2.1M

-21.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$44.05 ¥7,046

28.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$29.77 ¥4,762

49.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$59.3 ¥9,478

73.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$91.6 ¥14.7K

15.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$467 ¥74.7K

118.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$332 ¥53.2K

89.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$873 ¥139.6K

144.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$663 ¥106.1K

87.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$2,828 ¥452.3K

38.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,857 ¥297.1K

11.15%

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 Tsushima Island: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $467 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 $288 vs $309, 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 18% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,243 including rent). Tsushima Island is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,865 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $467 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 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 $283 in Tsushima Island. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,243 in Tsushima Island versus $1,467 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 18% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.