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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $834 in Ulyanovsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,238 in Ulyanovsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,642 in Ulyanovsk.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 73% more expensive than Ulyanovsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Ulyanovsk is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$9.04 ₽655

43.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$32.14 ₽2,329

63.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$5.63 ₽408

67.50%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.31 ₽167

54.55%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.09 ₽79.3

47.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.45 ₽32.51

155.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$0.85 ₽61.8

270.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$1.67 ₽121

191.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.12 ₽81.2

51.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.65 ₽47.10

306.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.24 ₽89.8

53.23%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$1.53 ₽111

66.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$9.13 ₽662

10.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$4.60 ₽333

80.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$8.35 ₽605

38.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.28 ₽93.1

136.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.50 ₽109

14.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.51 ₽109

35.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.72 ₽125

19.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$0.68 ₽49.30

202.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$0.43 ₽31.19

404.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.74 ₽126

-19.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.53 ₽38.61

111.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$1.43 ₽103

200.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$4.67 ₽338

229.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$0.86 ₽62.0

94.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.76 ₽128

109.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.44 ₽31.72

-13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.94 ₽140

-28.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.18 ₽13.17

55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$3.82 ₽277

41.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$0.74 ₽53.9

72.97%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$49.5K ₽3.6M

-61.67%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$43.9K ₽3.2M

-46.54%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$103 ₽7,479

-60.26%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$5.53 ₽401

386.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$5.53 ₽401

436.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$36.13 ₽2,618

44.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$4.01 ₽291

54.11%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$88.9 ₽6,440

380.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$6,024 ₽436.5K

77.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$98.8 ₽7,157

-42.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$47.37 ₽3,432

-5.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$89.0 ₽6,446

17.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$74.7 ₽5,413

41.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$322 ₽23.3K

209.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$231 ₽16.7K

169.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$567 ₽41.1K

275.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$303 ₽21.9K

314.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$2,392 ₽173.3K

63.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,477 ₽107.0K

41.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$727 ₽52.7K

52.35%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ulyanovsk: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $322 in Ulyanovsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 52% 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 $288 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 73% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $834 including rent). Ulyanovsk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 52% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $322 in Ulyanovsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $88.9 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 $834 in Ulyanovsk versus $1,447 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 73% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.