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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,330 in Utena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $2,111 in Utena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,892 in Utena.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 11% more expensive than in Utena, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, Utena 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$11.72 €10.15

12.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$69.3 €60.0

-22.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$6.87 €5.95

35.81%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$3.16 €2.73

17.09%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$2.62 €2.27

-38.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$1.95 €1.69

-42.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$5.96 €5.16

-47.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$5.64 €4.89

-14.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.31 €1.14

25.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.52 €1.31

78.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.97 €1.70

-3.05%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.91 €2.52

-11.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$10.75 €9.31

-8.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$5.33 €4.62

58.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$9.83 €8.51

21.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.37 €1.18

115.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.68 €1.46

3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.77 €1.53

15.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$3.19 €2.76

-35.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.76 €0.66

182.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.92 €0.80

145.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.58 €1.37

-12.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.88 €0.76

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$5.66 €4.90

-25.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$8.32 €7.21

110.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.67 €1.45

2.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.74 €1.51

108.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.13 €0.98

-69.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$33.39 €28.92

-42.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$4.56 €3.95

-69.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$1.13 €0.98

-75.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$13.95 €12.08

-62.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.59 €1.38

-14.47%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$39.7K €34.4K

-51.91%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$29.5K €25.5K

-19.87%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$212 €183

-80.85%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$13.66 €11.83

100.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$11.67 €10.10

160.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$41.37 €35.82

26.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$22.93 €19.86

15.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$9.47 €8.20

-34.64%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$468 €405

-9.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$10.4K €8,996

3.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$139 €120

-57.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$43.69 €37.83

2.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$82.0 €71.0

26.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$188 €163

-42.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$527 €457

92.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$365 €316

70.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$848 €734

149.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$658 €570

85.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,598 €2,250

45.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,646 €1,425

28.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$1,208 €1,046

-12.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.13

174.58%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Utena: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $527 in Utena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Utena pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $69.0 in Utena. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $226, with Utena cheaper for home cooking.

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 Utena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Utena differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,330 including rent). Utena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Utena. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $527 in Utena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Utena runs roughly 73% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $468 in Utena. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,330 in Utena versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Utena but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Utena 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Utena are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Utena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.