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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $724 in Vacoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,107 in Vacoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,490 in Vacoas.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 101% more expensive than in Vacoas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Vacoas is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$6.58 MUR 309

98.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$32.98 MUR 1,549

62.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.98 MUR 234

94.38%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.58 MUR 121

44.96%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.97 MUR 45.61

67.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.60 MUR 28.01

93.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.26 MUR 106

42.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$1.99 MUR 93.5

138.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.34 MUR 62.8

23.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.66 MUR 30.79

316.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.26 MUR 59.3

48.41%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.10 MUR 98.6

19.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$2.83 MUR 133

260.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$2.92 MUR 137

182.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$5.44 MUR 255

117.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.99 MUR 93.5

51.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$2.01 MUR 94.4

-9.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.45 MUR 68.2

37.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$2.72 MUR 128

-26.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.98 MUR 46.23

112.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.01 MUR 47.21

124.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.80 MUR 37.62

82.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.75 MUR 35.28

44.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$5.80 MUR 272

-25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$6.48 MUR 304

162.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.46 MUR 68.7

18.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.22 MUR 104

61.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.94 MUR 44.34

-58.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$4.30 MUR 202

-69.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$2.66 MUR 125

-89.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$4.53 MUR 213

15.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.40 MUR 65.8

-4.29%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$26.9K MUR 1.3M

-27.83%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

-15.68%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$49.42 MUR 2,321

-17.66%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$11.04 MUR 519

143.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$25.44 MUR 1,195

19.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$26.11 MUR 1,226

102.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$5.46 MUR 256

19.23%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$157 MUR 7,377

172.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$4,037 MUR 189.6K

160.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$29.83 MUR 1,401

91.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$28.57 MUR 1,342

59.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$66.6 MUR 3,130

56.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$59.5 MUR 2,793

81.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$262 MUR 12.3K

283.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$235 MUR 11.0K

164.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$520 MUR 24.4K

305.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$326 MUR 15.3K

273.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$697 MUR 32.7K

48.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.25

166.82%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Vacoas: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $262 in Vacoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 49% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $33.00 in Vacoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $156 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 101% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $724 including rent). Vacoas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 49% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $262 in Vacoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $157 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 $33.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $724 in Vacoas versus $1,456 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 101% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.