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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $758 in Vacoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,100 in Vacoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,443 in Vacoas.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 119% more expensive than in Vacoas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Vacoas is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$5.91 MUR 279

101.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$32.39 MUR 1,527

59.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$6.45 MUR 304

76.90%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$2.68 MUR 126

48.88%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$1.17 MUR 55.4

41.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.62 MUR 29.09

114.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.68 MUR 126

29.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.92 MUR 185

50.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.46 MUR 69.0

28.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$0.69 MUR 32.44

371.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.12 MUR 52.7

92.86%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$2.23 MUR 105

30.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$2.71 MUR 128

374.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$2.50 MUR 118

302.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$11.15 MUR 526

42.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.51 MUR 119

31.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$2.28 MUR 107

-11.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.44 MUR 68.1

52.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$2.98 MUR 141

-20.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.03 MUR 48.42

99.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.02 MUR 48.00

86.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.74 MUR 34.65

117.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.72 MUR 33.99

94.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$6.22 MUR 293

-12.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$6.31 MUR 297

179.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.44 MUR 68.0

43.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.39 MUR 112

95.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$1.29 MUR 60.8

-73.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$4.18 MUR 197

-49.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$3.24 MUR 152

-82.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$4.31 MUR 203

34.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.32 MUR 62.3

21.97%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$29.7K MUR 1.4M

-23.05%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$31.5K MUR 1.5M

-15.14%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$44.29 MUR 2,087

47.17%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$10.41 MUR 491

189.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$24.75 MUR 1,166

50.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$25.18 MUR 1,187

137.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$5.46 MUR 257

28.94%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$128 MUR 6,033

262.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$7,694 MUR 362.6K

72.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$32.18 MUR 1,517

135.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$38.77 MUR 1,827

44.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$63.7 MUR 3,002

75.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$46.98 MUR 2,214

156.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$263 MUR 12.4K

318.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$219 MUR 10.3K

229.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$472 MUR 22.2K

436.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$232 MUR 10.9K

456.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$700 MUR 33.0K

48.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.67

69.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Vacoas: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $263 in Vacoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 48% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $32.00 in Vacoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $177 per month, with Vacoas 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 Vacoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Vacoas differ by about 119% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $758 including rent). Vacoas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 48% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $263 in Vacoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $128 in Vacoas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Vacoas – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $758 in Vacoas versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vacoas but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Vacoas 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 Vacoas 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 Vacoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.