Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ulyanovsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulyanovsk: $954 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Ulyanovsk
Learn more

Ulyanovsk Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Ulyanovsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$954

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Ulyanovsk

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Ulyanovsk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $954 in Ulyanovsk.

Mexico City $1,608
Ulyanovsk $954

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,464 in Ulyanovsk.

Mexico City $2,549
Ulyanovsk $1,464

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,975 in Ulyanovsk.

Mexico City $3,490
Ulyanovsk $1,975

Living in Mexico City is roughly 69% more expensive than in Ulyanovsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Ulyanovsk is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$8.53 ₽687

24.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$908

$31.09 ₽2,504

55.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$6.57 ₽529

57.53%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.3

$2.30 ₽185

60.43%

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

$1.67 MX$31.29

$0.89 ₽71.9

87.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.76

$0.36 ₽29.31

252.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.9

$1.87 ₽151

70.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.6

$1.92 ₽154

176.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.38

$1.07 ₽86.2

60.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$0.61 ₽48.87

398.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.44

$1.07 ₽85.9

81.31%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.2

$1.47 ₽118

96.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$14.95 ₽1,204

-26.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$7.51 ₽605

23.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$7.56 ₽609

100.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.2

$1.57 ₽126

94.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.45

$1.64 ₽132

18.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.02

$4.11 ₽331

-50.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.46

$5.02 ₽404

-53.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.21

$1.49 ₽120

36.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.79

$0.80 ₽64.2

125.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.77

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.80

$0.58 ₽46.66

118.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.6

$3.02 ₽243

75.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.23

$1.13 ₽90.9

75.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.48 ₽38.50

-35.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$29.80 ₽2,400

-33.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.50

$3.73 ₽301

-50.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$3.77 ₽304

40.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.36

$0.88 ₽70.5

71.59%

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

$21.8K MX$408.4K

$54.8K ₽4.4M

-60.29%

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

$24.0K MX$450.3K

$42.1K ₽3.4M

-42.98%

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

$63.0 MX$1,182

$146 ₽11.8K

-56.92%

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

$27.39 MX$514

$4.97 ₽400

451.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$14.51 ₽1,168

145.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,107

$37.11 ₽2,989

58.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$24.68 ₽1,987

-4.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$8.73 ₽703

-26.69%

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

$432 MX$8,103

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,281

$31.46 ₽2,534

116.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$997

$36.52 ₽2,941

45.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,023

$98.6 ₽7,941

9.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,202

$61.8 ₽4,974

89.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$373 ₽30.1K

198.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$251 ₽20.3K

182.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$491 ₽39.6K

426.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$439 ₽35.4K

220.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$2,713 ₽218.5K

33.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$1,571 ₽126.5K

35.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$517 ₽41.6K

82.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

-50.65%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ulyanovsk: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Ulyanovsk

$251 26.4% 64.6% $459

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Ulyanovsk

$210 * 22% 34.3% $110

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Ulyanovsk

$134 14% 32.7% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Ulyanovsk

$103 10.8% 34.1% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Ulyanovsk

$166 17.4% 31.5% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Ulyanovsk

$55 5.7% 23.9% $17

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Ulyanovsk

$35 * 3.7% 39.2% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $373 in Ulyanovsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 83% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $31 in Ulyanovsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $210 per month, with Ulyanovsk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇷🇺 Ulyanovsk

🕒 Local time

04:50 4:50 AM

14:50 2:50 PM

10 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

627,705

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Ulyanovsk 11,250 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Ulyanovsk

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $954 in Ulyanovsk, so Ulyanovsk is about 41% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 83% 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $373 in Ulyanovsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulyanovsk – a meal for two runs $31 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 34% less than in Ulyanovsk. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Ulyanovsk is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Ulyanovsk wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.