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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,216 in Tsushima Island.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,898 in Tsushima Island.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,580 in Tsushima Island.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 36% more expensive than in Tsushima Island, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Tsushima Island is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$6.85 ¥1,075

74.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$34.32 ¥5,383

50.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$5.52 ¥866

106.70%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$3.05 ¥479

30.82%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$1.09 ¥171

52.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$0.80 ¥126

66.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$2.07 ¥325

67.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.16 ¥496

86.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.54 ¥241

22.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$1.60 ¥251

103.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$4.81 ¥754

-55.09%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$2.23 ¥350

30.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$10.02 ¥1,572

28.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.46 ¥1,013

55.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$15.35 ¥2,408

3.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$5.35 ¥838

-38.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$2.62 ¥411

-23.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$4.05 ¥635

-45.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$4.62 ¥725

-48.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$3.33 ¥522

-38.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$2.69 ¥422

-29.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$1.32 ¥207

21.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.89 ¥140

57.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$4.19 ¥657

30.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$6.62 ¥1,038

166.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$2.00 ¥314

3.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$2.39 ¥374

95.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$1.66 ¥260

-79.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$54.5 ¥8,554

-61.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$3.41 ¥535

-38.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$2.87 ¥449

-80.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$20.83 ¥3,267

-72.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.18 ¥186

36.44%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

-0.01%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$17.3K ¥2.7M

54.35%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$139 ¥21.8K

-53.04%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$27.55 ¥4,321

9.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$33.49 ¥5,252

11.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$57.6 ¥9,030

3.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$13.94 ¥2,186

90.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$13.12 ¥2,058

-46.34%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$284 ¥44.5K

63.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$13.5K ¥2.1M

-1.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$44.05 ¥6,909

72.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$28.97 ¥4,543

93.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$60.2 ¥9,438

85.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$92.1 ¥14.4K

30.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$466 ¥73.1K

136.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$330 ¥51.8K

118.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$852 ¥133.7K

196.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$660 ¥103.5K

96.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$2,859 ¥448.4K

39.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,775 ¥278.4K

17.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

1.81

524.31%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Tsushima Island: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $466 in Tsushima Island. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Tsushima Island for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $309 per month, with Tsushima Island 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 Tsushima Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tsushima Island differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,216 including rent). Tsushima Island is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,824 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $466 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 162% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $284 in Tsushima Island. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,216 in Tsushima Island versus $1,660 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 36% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.