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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $894 in Ulyanovsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,368 in Ulyanovsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,843 in Ulyanovsk.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 86% more expensive than in Ulyanovsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Ulyanovsk is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$11.85 ₽1,002

0.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$29.44 ₽2,487

75.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$6.27 ₽530

81.98%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$2.50 ₽211

59.60%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.90 ₽76.2

84.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.37 ₽31.46

259.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$1.74 ₽147

99.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$1.93 ₽163

205.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.02 ₽86.4

84.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$0.57 ₽47.78

470.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.05 ₽88.9

105.71%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.40 ₽118

107.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$10.90 ₽921

17.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.45 ₽376

125.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$9.71 ₽821

63.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$1.51 ₽128

117.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.56 ₽132

28.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.90 ₽161

15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$3.03 ₽256

-22.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$0.84 ₽70.9

144.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$0.55 ₽46.50

245.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.44 ₽122

11.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.69 ₽58.0

102.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$2.92 ₽247

86.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$7.75 ₽655

127.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.01 ₽85.3

103.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$1.85 ₽156

152.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.43 ₽36.06

-20.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$2.31 ₽196

-9.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.51 ₽43.20

9.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$7.02 ₽593

-17.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.76 ₽64.4

111.84%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$36.1K ₽3.1M

-36.76%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$41.9K ₽3.5M

-36.15%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$126 ₽10.6K

-48.18%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$5.98 ₽505

403.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$7.07 ₽598

425.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$34.97 ₽2,955

70.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$24.82 ₽2,097

6.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$6.59 ₽557

6.83%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$285 ₽24.1K

62.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$6,488 ₽548.2K

104.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$29.05 ₽2,454

161.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$36.02 ₽3,043

55.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$94.6 ₽7,989

18.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$59.4 ₽5,015

103.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$353 ₽29.9K

211.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$238 ₽20.1K

202.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$469 ₽39.7K

439.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$410 ₽34.6K

215.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$2,612 ₽220.7K

52.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,500 ₽126.7K

39.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$502 ₽42.4K

106.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

20.8

-45.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ulyanovsk: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $353 in Ulyanovsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 107% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $29.00 in Ulyanovsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $191 per month, with Ulyanovsk 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 Ulyanovsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Ulyanovsk differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $894 including rent). Ulyanovsk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 107% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $353 in Ulyanovsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $285 in Ulyanovsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulyanovsk – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $894 in Ulyanovsk versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulyanovsk but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ulyanovsk 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.

Expats usually find Ulyanovsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.