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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $840 in Ulyanovsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,254 in Ulyanovsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,669 in Ulyanovsk.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 75% more expensive than in 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

$13.14 MX$227

$9.09 ₽724

44.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$31.30 ₽2,491

71.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$5.55 ₽442

68.11%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.31 ₽184

60.17%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.06 ₽84.0

50.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.48 ₽38.32

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$0.86 ₽68.6

265.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$1.60 ₽127

203.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.11 ₽88.5

48.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.64 ₽50.8

323.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.19 ₽94.8

60.50%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.51 ₽120

71.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$9.12 ₽726

7.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$4.78 ₽380

76.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$8.62 ₽686

38.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.30 ₽103

126.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.51 ₽120

15.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.50 ₽119

36.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.68 ₽134

22.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.67 ₽53.5

220.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.42 ₽33.78

438.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.72 ₽137

-19.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.50 ₽40.14

124.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$1.41 ₽112

199.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$4.52 ₽359

287.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$0.90 ₽71.9

90.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.76 ₽140

106.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.44 ₽34.94

-20.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.93 ₽154

-28.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.17 ₽13.85

64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$3.87 ₽308

36.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$0.74 ₽59.2

83.78%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$47.9K ₽3.8M

-60.09%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$44.0K ₽3.5M

-46.30%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$102 ₽8,127

-60.31%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$5.65 ₽450

384.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$5.60 ₽446

442.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$35.23 ₽2,804

48.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$4.05 ₽322

52.84%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$87.8 ₽6,990

383.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$6,071 ₽483.2K

76.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$101 ₽8,022

-42.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$47.28 ₽3,763

-5.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$88.7 ₽7,058

16.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$77.4 ₽6,160

40.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$317 ₽25.2K

219.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$231 ₽18.3K

170.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$569 ₽45.2K

272.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$300 ₽23.9K

307.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,226 ₽177.2K

70.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,328 ₽105.7K

58.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$674 ₽53.6K

56.09%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Ulyanovsk: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $317 in Ulyanovsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 56% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $31.00 in Ulyanovsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $168 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 75% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $840 including rent). Ulyanovsk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 56% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $317 in Ulyanovsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $87.8 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 $31.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $840 in Ulyanovsk versus $1,472 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 75% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.