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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $839 in Ulyanovsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,250 in Ulyanovsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,660 in Ulyanovsk.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 77% more expensive than Ulyanovsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Ulyanovsk is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$8.66 ₽651

49.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$32.05 ₽2,407

65.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$5.86 ₽440

65.87%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.39 ₽180

56.90%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.06 ₽79.7

48.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.45 ₽33.61

151.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$0.90 ₽67.8

253.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$1.70 ₽128

174.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.11 ₽83.4

45.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.60 ₽44.96

351.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.22 ₽91.9

54.10%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.53 ₽115

64.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$9.25 ₽695

8.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.79 ₽359

73.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$8.43 ₽633

41.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.31 ₽98.2

118.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.53 ₽115

14.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.46 ₽110

42.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.75 ₽132

12.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.67 ₽50.0

222.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$0.39 ₽29.32

458.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.82 ₽137

-23.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.53 ₽40.10

111.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$1.37 ₽103

206.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$6.09 ₽458

133.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$0.92 ₽69.4

91.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.80 ₽136

104.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.44 ₽32.74

-11.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.87 ₽140

-25.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.18 ₽13.45

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$3.74 ₽281

44.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.75 ₽56.7

80.00%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$49.0K ₽3.7M

-61.46%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$44.5K ₽3.3M

-47.95%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$99.8 ₽7,492

-59.08%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$5.58 ₽419

392.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$5.45 ₽409

457.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$35.28 ₽2,650

51.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$4.19 ₽314

49.64%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$89.0 ₽6,687

389.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$5,935 ₽445.8K

76.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$101 ₽7,579

-43.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$47.89 ₽3,597

-6.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$90.3 ₽6,780

13.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$75.2 ₽5,650

43.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$312 ₽23.4K

220.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$228 ₽17.1K

171.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$569 ₽42.8K

275.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$299 ₽22.4K

313.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,543 ₽115.9K

150.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,121 ₽84.2K

107.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$749 ₽56.2K

42.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

15.33

-26.03%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ulyanovsk: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $312 in Ulyanovsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 43% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $32.00 in Ulyanovsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $172 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 77% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $839 including rent). Ulyanovsk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 43% more on average, 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $312 in Ulyanovsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $89.0 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 $32.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $839 in Ulyanovsk versus $1,484 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 77% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.