Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Utsunomiya

For one person, living is cheaper in Utsunomiya: $1,316 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Utsunomiya, Japan
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Utsunomiya
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,316
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Utsunomiya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,316 in Utsunomiya.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Utsunomiya $1,316

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,971 in Utsunomiya.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Utsunomiya $1,971

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,625 in Utsunomiya.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Utsunomiya $2,625

Living in Mexico City is roughly 22% more expensive than in Utsunomiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Utsunomiya is 3% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Utsunomiya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$198
$6.07 ¥958
74.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$901
$16.88 ¥2,666
186.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$193
$4.86 ¥768
112.96%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$68.8
$3.52 ¥556
4.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.07
$1.07 ¥169
56.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.59
$0.84 ¥133
51.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$59.5
$3.11 ¥490
2.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$98.9
$1.86 ¥293
185.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Utsunomiya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.15
$1.45 ¥229
18.62%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$56.7
$1.67 ¥264
82.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.19
$5.63 ¥888
-65.54%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$53.8
$2.25 ¥356
28.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$205
$11.56 ¥1,825
-5.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$172
$6.80 ¥1,074
36.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$282
$16.74 ¥2,644
-9.62%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$56.8
$4.85 ¥766
-37.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.19
$2.27 ¥358
-14.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.75
$4.25 ¥672
-52.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.15
$5.27 ¥832
-56.17%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$37.94
$3.40 ¥536
-40.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.55
$3.01 ¥476
-40.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.58
$1.18 ¥187
25.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.63
$0.79 ¥124
60.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$98.9
$3.96 ¥626
33.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$300
$9.70 ¥1,531
65.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$36.97
$1.68 ¥265
17.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.3
$2.75 ¥434
54.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Utsunomiya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.69
$1.25 ¥198
-75.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$368
$64.4 ¥10.2K
-69.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.25
$3.08 ¥486
-40.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.94
$3.13 ¥495
-83.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$98.7
$18.99 ¥2,998
-72.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.16
$1.06 ¥167
42.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$405.5K
$22.8K ¥3.6M
-4.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$447.1K
$15.2K ¥2.4M
57.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Utsunomiya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,174
$150 ¥23.6K
-57.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$511
$23.41 ¥3,696
17.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$665
$30.11 ¥4,754
18.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Utsunomiya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,099
$50.5 ¥7,980
16.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$441
$12.49 ¥1,972
89.27%
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$119
$13.12 ¥2,072
-51.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Utsunomiya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,045
$1,408 ¥222.3K
-69.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$212.9K
$18.2K ¥2.9M
-37.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Utsunomiya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,272
$55.1 ¥8,694
23.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$990
$32.60 ¥5,148
62.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,009
$64.8 ¥10.2K
66.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,186
$72.1 ¥11.4K
62.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Utsunomiya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.8K
$609 ¥96.2K
82.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.2K
$388 ¥61.3K
82.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.2K
$893 ¥141.0K
189.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.2K
$721 ¥113.9K
94.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$67.7K
$3,783 ¥597.2K
-4.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$39.8K
$2,111 ¥333.3K
1.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Utsunomiya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
2.25
404.44%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Utsunomiya: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Utsunomiya
$388 45.3% $322
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Utsunomiya
$327 2.2% $7.1
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Utsunomiya
$132 33.4% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Utsunomiya
$101 35.2% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Utsunomiya
$203 61.1% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Utsunomiya
$77 7% $5.1
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Utsunomiya
$88 246% $63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $609 in Utsunomiya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $17 in Utsunomiya. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $327, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇯🇵 Utsunomiya
🕒 Local time
15:36 3:36 PM
06:36 6:36 AM
15 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
519,217
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Utsunomiya 11,240 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Utsunomiya

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 Utsunomiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Mexico City and in Utsunomiya?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,316 in Utsunomiya, so Utsunomiya is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Mexico City compared to Utsunomiya?
You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $1,974 in Utsunomiya to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Mexico City and in Utsunomiya?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $609 in Utsunomiya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Mexico City and Utsunomiya?
Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $1,408 in Utsunomiya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Utsunomiya – a meal for two runs $17 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,316 in Utsunomiya versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Utsunomiya but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Utsunomiya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Utsunomiya?
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.

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